The Kiln Group is the second tenant secured by Land Securities and the Canary Wharf Group for what will soon be a landmark office building in London’s financial district. The development has been nicknamed the Walkie-Talkie and will eventually stand 36 stories tall and reach 525 feet.
Kiln’s commitment will see it occupy 78,000 square feet of office space at the Fenchurch Street site, which is scheduled for completion in the early months of 2014. The agreement between developers and the underwriting group brings pre-let levels on the Walkie-Talkie to 19 per cent, with an announcement earlier this year revealing that Merkel International, another insurance group, plans to occupy 51,000 square feet across levels 26, 27 and 20 and use the building as its London headquarters.
“This is good progress for 20 Fenchurch Street, approximately 20 months before completion, and further testament to the building’s attractive, intelligent and efficient design,” said Colette O’Shea, head of development at Land Securities.
Richard Archer, head of leasing at the Canary Wharf Group, said: ”20 Fenchurch Street is located in the heart of the City’s vibrant insurance sector. We are very pleased to have secured another top-quality insurance sector tenant well ahead of completion.”
Earlier this month, the US-based insurance group WR Berkley revealed its plan to build a 35-storey office skyscraper on its behalf in the City of London as well. Statements from the company said it would occupy roughly 25 per cent of the resulting offices at an earmarked site on Liverpool Street, with the remaining floor plates to be offered for rent on a speculative basis.
Editor’s notes: As of August 2024, Kiln, which merged with Tokio Marine in February 2013 to become the £1.8 billion gross written premium (GWP) firm, Tokio Marine Kiln, listed 20 Fenchurch Street as its London headquarters on its website.
Up-to-date information about The Walkie-Talkie Tower at 20 Fenchurch Street and its other occupiers can be found here.
As of October 2026, occupiers of 20 Fenchurch Street included insurance firms such as Ascot Underwriting, CNA Hardy, Markel, and Tokio Marine Kiln; financial firms such as Castleton Commodities International and Vanquis Bank; and legal firms such as DWF. Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica also had its London HQ in the building.
At the Walkie-Talkie, the building offered a mix of landlord- and tenant-controlled office space available to lease, sublease, or occupy through other arrangements, including high-quality plug-and-play, fitted offices available on flexible licences.