20,000 sq ft Grade A office space let to Arup, at one of Newcastle’s most prominent office buildings in the city’s most popular business district.
Overview
Parker Knights recently secured global engineering consultancy Arup who will occupy 20,185 sq ft of Grade A office space across floors 4 and 5 at 1 Citygate, Gallowgate on a 15 year lease. We acted on behalf landlord, Britannia A/S and the transaction represents one of the most significant commercial lettings in the city in 2026, reflecting sustained demand for high quality, well located workspace in Newcastle’s professional services market.
Arup, which has maintained a presence in the North-East for more than 60 years, will relocate from its previous offices at Central Square North to join a distinguished roster of occupiers including EY, Handelsbanken, UBS, Burnetts Solicitors, and Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria.
The Brief
Prior to Arup’s commitment, floors 4 and 5 at 1 Citygate required substantial investment to meet the expectations of an international occupier. The landlord, Britannia Invest A/S, needed to deliver space that was not only visually impressive but technically sound and ready for Arup’s own fit-out programme.
Key challenges included:
- Full de-gassing of both floors to make the space suitable for Arup’s occupation.
- Complete replacement and simultaneous upgrade of (M&E) services to meet modern performance standards.
- Delivering a high quality CAT A specification.
- Completing the works within a programme that would allow Arup to proceed promptly with its own fit-out.
Delivery
Britannia Invest A/S, guided by Catella APAM as Asset Manager, undertook a comprehensive refurbishment of floors 4 and 5 before Arup’s occupation. The works delivered a fully refurbished CAT A workspace, incorporating the degassing of both floors and installation of brand new M&E services, ensuring the building met the operational and technical requirements of a global consultancy and their ESG policies.
Parker Knights, acting on behalf of the landlord, worked closely with Arup’s advisors and Vantage to design the desired CAT A finish in line with strong sustainability credentials.
An exclusive roof terrace on the fifth floor was included within Arup’s demise, providing a premium amenity that enhances the occupier experience and reinforces the building’s status as a premier business address.
Outcome
A purpose ready and high quality workspace in Newcastle’s leading business district with the landlord benefitting from a 15 year income stream from one of the world’s leading built environment consultancies, providing long-term asset security.
Not only have Arup strengthened the already notable occupier line-up at 1 Citygate, reinforcing the building’s reputation as a premier professional services address, they have provided further validation that a proactive refurbishment strategy and targeted capital investment attracts high calibre occupiers.
