Handelsbanken moves to 3,000 sq ft Leamington office after Wareing & Co secure deal

A major bank is set to open a premier office location in Leamington Spa as part of its plans for growth in the area after Wareing & Company secured a deal.

Local relationship bank Handelsbanken will move to a new 3,000 sq ft office on the second floor of Olympus House from its current premises in the town after agreeing a 10-year sub-lease with leading law firm Wright Hassall.

Jonathan Blood, director at Wareing & Company, acted on the deal on behalf of Handelsbanken.

He said: “We have worked with Wright Hassall for a number of years now to help complete our own transactions, so it’s fitting that we secured the deal for Handelsbanken to move into Olympus House.

“The space and amenities fitted Handelsbanken requirement’s perfectly, and we hope the team enjoy settling into their new office.”

Handelsbanken is a relationship bank which offers banking and financial support for customers ranging from individuals to large corporate and financial institutions.

Its Leamington Spa branch, which serves its south Warwickshire customer base, was previously based at Myton House in the town centre for a decade, with all 13 staff due to relocate to Olympus House.

Dani Coe, Branch Manager for Handelsbanken Leamington Spa, said: “Moving to Olympus House is a natural step to accommodate our expanding team of relationship bankers in order to support even more customers in the local community.

“It not only provides a fantastic location for us with excellent parking for our customers, but almost double the office space as our previous site, alongside a welcoming open-plan office space which allows our team to be all on one floor.

“We are very thankful to Wright Hassall and Wareing & Co for helping with our move.”

Phil Wilding, Managing Partner at Wright Hassall, said: “I’m really pleased to welcome Handelsbanken to Olympus House, which has been our proud home since 2007.

“Modern offices look very different from when we first moved in, and in recent years we have seen companies across the world – including Wright Hassall – embrace hybrid working, with most of our 240 staff able to work in a hybrid manner.

“This working style has enabled us to consolidate the office space that we need as a business, and use our premises differently. It has meant we have been able to release some of our surplus space to other local businesses, which ties in with our aspirations to support local businesses and enable their growth and success.

“We still have plenty of office capacity for all of our staff, including space for growth, which is very much on our agenda.

“Handelsbanken is a well-respected name within the banking sector and we are delighted to welcome another local business into our office space.”

 

 

 

Leamington architects opening art gallery alongside studio after Wareing deal

A chartered architects practice based in Leamington Spa is set to shake-up the high street with its latest move – by hosting a fine art gallery alongside the architects studio.

Rickett Architects is set to move into Regent Court, 2 Livery Street – the former home of fashion store Jaeger – from its current offices at 168 Parade in the town centre after Wareing & Company secured a deal.

Rickett Architects, which designs high density and affordable housing schemes, residential and care home buildings for clients all over the country, wanted to increase its presence in Leamington by moving into a ground-floor high street location.

But the move into the 1,944 sq ft unit on Regent Court is not just a simple office move. The bulk of the space will be dedicated to displaying and selling contemporary art from a range of regional and international artists in a concept Rickett Architects calls ‘Pavilion’.

Dan Rickett, Managing Director of Rickett Architects, said: “Through Pavilion, we wanted to bring the architects studio to ground level to improve our visibility, in addition to sharing the cost of space with complimentary uses to support our hybrid working policies.

“We are working with Gallery Director Kelly Childs who brings industry knowledge and unbridled enthusiasm for the project and knows a lot of up-and-coming artists through her work. It was through speaking to her that the idea for a combined space took hold.”

Dan saw that Wareing & Company were marketing the old Jaeger unit at Regent Court and thought the space could be perfect for the new venture.

“We want to use around three-quarters of it for the art gallery, and the rest for our architect’s studio,” he added.

“The idea is that the customer sees the fine art gallery first and this brings them in – and it’s also something that our clients can enjoy when they come to visit us in the studio.

“We’re also keen to make sure the art is at a good range of prices and supports local artists rather than focusing on exclusivity and prestige.

“Ultimately, we wanted to try a new model of getting an architectural business to viably have a presence on a high street. If successful, we will look to try and roll it out to other locations, with Pavilion being the anchor concept.

“We must thank Wareing & Company for their support too. They were very professional to deal with and made the process of securing the lease as smooth as it could have been. We can’t wait to move in.”

Bill Wareing, owner of Wareing & Company, said: “It’s great to see Rickett Architects trying something bold on the high street and combining office space with a different venture.

“Regent Court, 2 Livery Street is in a fantastic location in Leamington with plenty of footfall, so they won’t be short of people admiring the art on display.

“We wish Dan and the team all the best with the move and look forward to viewing the artwork ourselves.”