W.R. Berkley is among the world’s foremost casualty insurance businesses. In a statement, it said its office development plans in the City of London reflect its commitment to what it describes as “one of the world’s leading insurance centres”.
If the relevant authorities approve the newly submitted plans, it said W.R. Berkley will occupy roughly 25 per cent of the resulting offices at the site and use them as its European headquarters. The remaining offices in the 35-storey, 190-metre-high tower will be available for rent on the open market. Floorplates will range from 9,000 to 22,000 square feet.
“The proposed development of 52-54 Lime Street is an integral component of our international growth strategy,” said William Berkley, the founder and chairman of the company behind the plans. “With the continuing expansion of our operations here, it makes sense to invest in a landmark building which will provide a strong base for that growth.”
Subject to planning acceptance, work on the new City of London office tower will begin next year, and tenants should occupy the offices before the end of 2017. The earmarked site is close to where work is already underway on several other high-profile new office space towers in the City, including most notably those at 20 Fenchurch Street, 122 Leadenhall and along Bishopsgate, which are being referred to as the Walkie-Talkie, the Cheesegrater and the Pinnacle respectively.
Editor’s notes: The office tower at 52 Lime Street, also known as The Scalpel, was completed in 2018 following a 3-year build.
The 42-storey tower delivers approximately 404,000 square feet of office space in the City of London’s EC3 Insurance District. As of June 2024, it served as W. R. Berkley’s European headquarters. It was also home to other tenants, including Axis Novae, National Australia Bank, and SAP.
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.
At the time, W. R. Berkley was one of the largest commercial lines P&C insurers in the U.S. W. R. Berkley Corporation was a member of the Fortune 500 and S&P 500 and composed of approximately 60 niche businesses.