17 Columbus Courtyard is a c.188,000 sq ft waterfront office building located in London’s Canary Wharf. Originally designed by Gensler and constructed in 1999, the building comprises 10 floors.

The funders’ brief was to maximize return on investment. Accordingly, Neil Doherty and Andrew Link, at their previous firm, led 6 feasibility studies, ranging from a light-touch cosmetic refurbishment to a bold proposal for a 100-story mixed-use development. The building’s prime location — directly adjacent to the new Crossrail station and neighbouring high-rise towers — meant that a wide range of options was viable.

The agreed business plan focused on maximising the use of the existing foundations, thereby avoiding the need for full replacement. This led to a design strategy centred on recladding and reconfiguring the current structure, while adding five additional floors to the original ten — resulting in an expanded total area of approximately 290,000 sq ft.

The proposed scheme was positively received at a pre-application meeting with Tower Hamlets, indicating strong planning potential. At this successful milestone, the development team capitalised on the uplift in value, realizing strong returns on their initial investment and reducing future risk exposure through a well-timed sale of the scheme to a party well-positioned to take it forward.

Separate from the sale, and as part of extensive enabling works, the existing link bridge at the 8th floor — connecting 17 Columbus Courtyard with the neighbouring Credit Suisse headquarters—was successfully removed. This complex operation was delivered without disruption to the adjoining building’s operations, demonstrating strong coordination and execution by the project team.