London-based staff at GSK will have enjoyed a considerably shorter commute on Tuesday morning after the pharma giant opened the doors to its new West End office.

In a big vote of confidence in the capital, GSK’s new headquarters—based in New Oxford Street—will house more than 3,000 UK staff and mark the return of a firm whose roots in the capital can be traced back to the early 18th Century.

The FTSE 100 firm’s intention to move from its glassy headquarters in Brentford – opened in 2002 by then prime minister Tony Blair – to central London was first announced in December 2022, after a “comprehensive” search of potential new sites across London.

However, after the firm had decided on its new 158,000 sq. ft. space – known as the Earnshaw – staff then had to wait two years to move in while construction was completed.

Commenting on the relocation when GSK had first announced the move, CEO Emma Walmsley said: “Our new headquarters represents an important next step for GSK.

“As a global biopharma company, we are proud to call London our home and look forward to the opportunities for even closer collaboration with the city’s world-class science, academic and healthcare institutions.”

The new office will be the main base for GSK’s global leadership team and divisions in tech, commercial operations, and R&D.

In doing so it will bring GSK’s main business functions closer to both its research and development (R&D) hub in Stevenage and its King’s Cross outpost that is devoted purely to AI.

The move also means GSK’s staff are just a stone’s throw away from some of the pharma firm’s main strategic partners, such as the Francis Crick Institute and King’s College London.

Walmsley added: “Our new headquarters will provide a fantastic new focal point for GSK people to meet, collaborate and ultimately deliver solutions for the urgent healthcare challenges facing the world.”

The new space is believed to have multiple outdoor terraces, a gym and fitness studio, and a restaurant open to staff and the public.