AXA Real Estate Investment Managers has announced the topping out of Sixty London, a 215,000 sq ft, prime City of London Grade A office development which is scheduled for completion in summer 2013.

The building is currently being developed by AXA Real Estate’s pan-European development fund, Development Venture III, which held its final close in December 2011 having raised EUR588.5m of total equity.
 
The Kohn Pederson Fox designed scheme, set out over nine office floors, is being constructed by Balfour Beatty and is targeting a BREEAM2 ‘Excellent’ rating. The development also includes 20,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant use which has been partly pre-let to Drake & Morgan, the London based bar and restaurant group behind award winning locations including The Anthologist and The Refinery. The venue will trade over three floors and its entrance will be in the fourth Gatehouse on Holborn Viaduct, which is being rebuilt by AXA Real Estate to its original Victorian design.
 
AXA Real Estate has been extremely active in development projects across Europe and has managed investments, on behalf of its clients, into over 250 projects since 2000 with a combined gross development value exceeding EUR8bn. 
 
Harry Badham, AXA Real Estate’s UK director of development, says: “The topping out of Sixty London demonstrates how far the development has progressed since we acquired the scheme last year. The quality of the architecture and finishes are testament to the skill of our design and contractor team in creating what will become a very special London landmark office building.”