Explore Flexible Office Space Solutions in the City of London
The architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox revealed the designs last year, which include roughly half a million square feet of commercial space. Most of that space will be Grade A offices, but there will also be a restaurant and some retail areas.
WR Berkley will fund the project and work with the Property Group Partners (PGP) to see the ‘Scalpel’ emerge on the City of London skyline over the next few years. The insurance firm looks set to occupy roughly a quarter of the tower’s available office space.
William R Berkley, chairman and chief executive of WR Berkley, said that because his company will finance, develop, and eventually occupy the building at 52-54 Lime Street, its plans represent a “real, financial and physical commitment” to the British capital.
“We are delighted to have received the backing of the City of London today. We continue to develop our business operations in Britain and Europe,” he said.
“We plan to build on London’s rich heritage in the insurance sector by creating a fantastic new headquarters for our European business in the heart of the City of London.”
The ‘Scalpel’ is the latest in a series of major office-space development projects in the City of London, specifically in the insurance district, in recent years. Others include the under-construction towers dubbed the Cheesegrater and the Walkie-Talkie, which will be over 500 feet tall on completion.
Editor’s notes: The office tower at 52 Lime Street, also known as The Scalpel, was completed in 2018 after a three-year build and offers 404,000 square feet of office space.
As of October 2026, The Scalpel at 52 Lime Street remained W. R. Berkley’s European and global HQ. Other notable tenants included AXIS Capital, Britannia Financial Group, Chaucer Group, Convex, Morrison & Foerster, National Australia Bank, and SAP.
On October 20th 2026, W. R. Berkley reported gross written premiums of $3.95 billion for the third quarter of 2026, up from $3.83 billion for the same period the previous year. For the first nine months of 2026, gross written premiums totalled $11.9 billion, up from $11.5 billion for the first nine months of 2025.