WPP opens London campus at One Southwark Bridge

WPP has opened One Southwark Bridge, a London campus uniting around 3,000 employees from WPP Media and WPP Open. The site becomes a central hub for teams developing the company’s AI platform for marketing and marks a major commitment to UK-based creative and technological talent.

The launch coincides with the building receiving a BREEAM Outstanding rating, placing it among only one percent of non-domestic buildings in the UK and one of just 90 refurbished buildings in London to achieve this distinction.

A strategic investment in UK creative and tech leadership

Cindy Rose, CEO of WPP: "Winning teams need a world-class facility to perform at their best, and this new London campus is exactly that. As a proud British company, this represents a significant and continued investment in our UK talent and infrastructure. It’s an engine for collaboration, bringing our exceptional people together into a creative and innovation hub that delivers for our clients."

The opening aligns with the UK’s next Industrial Strategy, which positions the creative industries and technology as core growth sectors. By consolidating talent in an innovation-driven environment, WPP reinforces its role in supporting the UK’s position as one of the world’s largest advertising markets.

A major retrofit of an iconic 1980s landmark

Designed by BDG architecture + design, the deep retrofit of the former Financial Times headquarters expands usable floorspace by 50 percent and introduces a workplace environment shaped around wellbeing.

The campus includes a multi-faith room, a sensory room for neurodivergent colleagues, a parents’ room, and a wellness studio offering group classes. Previously inaccessible outdoor areas have been reimagined as open communal spaces connected to surrounding streets.

Sustainability achievements underpin design

One Southwark Bridge’s BREEAM Outstanding rating reflects extensive sustainability measures, including:

95 percent structural reuse to significantly reduce embodied carbon

Air source heat pumps for efficient heating

300 square metres of roof-mounted solar panels

An intelligent aluminium façade that reduces overheating while preserving daylight and river views

Ethically sourced construction materials and UK-manufactured furniture, with 25 percent of workstations reused

Recycled materials such as carpets and acoustic rafts made from 60 percent recycled plastic bottles

Biodiversity enhancements including a green roof, new courtyard planting, bird boxes and insect habitats

A repurposed diesel tank now serving as a Sustainable Urban Drainage Storage system

Improved public access with a widened river path, bike storage and showers

WPP Media takes centre stage at the new campus

The site brings together Choreograph, EssenceMediacom and Wavemaker under the WPP Media umbrella, supporting closer integration and collaboration for clients including BT, Nationwide and ITV.

Kate Rowlinson, CEO of WPP Media in the UK: "One Southwark Bridge is designed to be a catalyst for connection and creativity, ultimately benefiting our clients. By bringing our people from across WPP Media together under one roof, we’re looking to drive stronger connections and world class work."

www.wpp.com

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