After Derwent London converted it into creative workspaces and studio spaces in 2003, Tea proved an instant hit with creative and tech businesses that have since transformed the area. Today it is a flagship of East London’s new economy.

In a unique opportunity, a new office space has become available at Tea in the next era of the building’s development. A blank canvas but retaining a strong industrial aesthetic and highly individual character.

Sturdy and elegant, the Tea Building has been a lodestar of the Shoreditch community since it’s construction in the early 1930s.

The Tea Building’s atmospheric internal street, designed by leading architects, AHMM, which leads to its main reception, is a talking point and one of its most celebrated features. Now it can be accessed from either end, thanks to the new connection to Redchurch Street — its Crittall-style bespoke double doors and blackened steel finish holding true to the 1930s aesthetic.

The reception itself is re-imagined, a tall open-fronted steel and glass box, the central hub of the workplace. Its dark raw steel shell has a strong industrial feel, a blend of roughness and craftsmanship, preserved in wax coating.

The interior stays true to the building’s aesthetic — industrial yet elegant, with a simplicity of design. Original features have been retained, a sturdy concrete and iron mix. Crittal-style openable windows flood the space with natural light, creating a calm, airy ambience, a proven aid to good mental health and wellbeing. The whitewashed brick walls add zest and energy.

Sustainability

Green Tea unit.

As a former warehouse with no heating infrastructure, the Tea Building was not inherently equipped for sustainability. The three-part Green Tea plan was introduced in 2014 to rectify this.

First, the single panes in the 1930s windows were replaced with new, openable double-glazed units in keeping with the building’s aesthetic and heritage. These help to retain heat in cold weather, and are an instant source of cool fresh air during warm spells.

Second, a movement-sensitive LED lighting system helps to conserve power and minimise waste.

Third, the thermal loop harvests and redistributes warmth to cooler parts of the building and vice versa. Smart meters mean each unit’s power and gas consumption can be monitored and improved.

Our Green tea strategy provides a comfortable, controllable, naturally ventilated office environment that requires less energy to maintain by using the building inherent attributes. Reducing energy consumption and its associated carbon emissions are part of our journey to Net Zero Carbon in 2030.

Location

Bordering the City, Clerkenwell and Bethnal Green, Shoreditch is a thriving hotspot for culture, food and drink, art, fashion and music.

The most recent Sunday Times 100 Best Places to Eat list featured five Shoreditch restaurants — Brat, St Leonards, Smokestak, Rochelle Canteen and Clove Club — all within a stone’s throw.

Though Tea Building residents don’t have to leave the premises to find a Michelin-starred restaurant — Lyle’s, says critic Marina O’Loughlin, is “like the city’s hottest ticket supperclub”. For great quality, affordable Thai there’s Smoking Goat.  — or street food at the buzzing Dinerama market on Great Eastern Street. Further along, the recently opened Gloria is the latest restaurant to win rave reviews.