WPP announces official opening of its third London campus: the iconic One Southwark Bridge

• WPP transforms the former Financial Times HQ into a London campus uniting ~3,000 employees from WPP Media, and WPP Open teams, spearheading the development of the company’s AI platform for marketing
• The campus has just been awarded a BREEAM Outstanding rating – placing it among just 1% of UK non-domestic buildings and only 90 refurbished buildings in London with this top distinction

WPP officially opened the doors of One Southwark Bridge, its third London campus and fourth in the UK. This coincides with the building receiving a BREEAM Outstanding rating, a rare achievement for a refurbishment.

As the UK seeks to implement the next Industrial Strategy with the creative industries and technology at its heart – two critical growth sub-sectors – One Southwark Bridge stands as a powerful symbol of WPP’s commitment to the UK. The campus reinforces the company’s commitment to nurturing creative talent to cement its home market’s position as one of the largest advertising markets globally, directly supporting the Industrial Strategy’s focus on fostering both creative industries and technological innovation.

A creative transformation of an iconic landmark

Designed by WPP’s BDG architecture + design, One Southwark Bridge represents a deep retrofit and extension of the 1980s office building, adding 50% of usable floorspace. This collaborative campus supports WPP’s in-office working approach, prioritising employee wellbeing with dedicated spaces including a multi-faith room, a sensory room designed for neurodivergent colleagues, a parents’ room, and a wellness studio, PEACE, hosting group classes like yoga and pilates. The previously inaccessible grounds have also been transformed to create more inviting outdoor communal areas, making them accessible for all and reconnecting the building to the surrounding streets

Build on sustainable practices

The BREEAM Outstanding rating for One Southwark Bridge was achieved through:

• 95% structural reuse: This dramatically reduced embodied carbon.
• Efficient air conditioning: Air source heat pumps recover heat from stale air and extract warmth from outside to efficiently heat the building.
• 300sqm of solar panels: Optimally angled on the roof to generate clean energy.
• Intelligent façade: Perforated aluminium fins, parametrically designed and wind tunnel tested, reduce overheating while maximising river views and daylight.
• Ethical sourcing: All construction materials were ethically sourced with a tracked carbon journey.
• Sustainable furniture: UK-manufactured, with 25% of workstations reused from another site.
• Recycled materials: Carpets and acoustic ceiling rafts incorporate recycled content; the latter are made from 60% recycled plastic bottles.
• Enhanced biodiversity: A green roof, new courtyard planting, bird boxes for redstarts and insect habitats.
• Innovative water management: A repurposed diesel tank now functions as a ‘Sustainable Urban Drainage Storage’ tank to moderate rainwater runoff.
• Improved public access: The river path was widened for better access and safer cycling, with direct access to bike storage and showers.

WPP Media at the heart of One Southwark Bridge

The new campus will be a central hub for WPP Media and its brands Choreograph, EssenceMediacom and Wavemaker. This co-location will foster greater collaboration and integration, enabling WPP Media to deliver even more innovative and effective solutions for its clients, such as BT, Nationwide and ITV.

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

Further information
WPP Communications
press@wpp.com

About WPP
WPP is the creative transformation company. We use the power of creativity to build better futures for our people, planet, clients and communities. For more information, visit www.wpp.com.