A desired address

Although the tallest building in the southern commercial hub has been operating at the time of challenging economic conditions and an oversupply of office space in the last year, it has still drawn in world-famous tenants.

Ernst & Young Vietnam Limited is one of the well-established companies that recently relocated its office to BFT as it wanted a state-of-the-art building which provided excellent working conditions for its staff and, says Christopher Butler, office managing partner and tax market leader of the auditing and advisory firm,  “a place we could meet clients which would be flexible in terms of office space and meeting and training spaces.”

“We have grown very rapidly over the past few years and needed to move to accommodate the growth we have already experienced and the growth we expect over the next few years across all areas of our practice in Ho Chi Minh City,” he added.

Adidas has joined Ernst & Young to lease 1,035 square metres of office space on the 22nd floor, and 265 square metres of retail space on the ground floor of the tower to open its 50th store in Vietnam.

Ryan Hart, country manager of Adidas Vietnam, said he believed that “as time goes on, there is no doubt BFT will be one of the most desirable addresses in the Vietnam.”

“From a distance, we watched the formation of this innovative structure and when the chance surfaced last year to bring our iconic sports brand into this iconic building, it seemed like a great match.  Whether seeing it from several districts away or walking between the walls, you can see and feel something special,” Hart said.

In fact, more Fortune 500 companies and financial institutions have joined Adidas and see it as the most desired commercial address in Ho Chi Minh City. As a result, the tower has reported significant take up in leased office space over the past few months and potential tenants are advised to act fast if they want to secure a space in this prestigious building.

“Despite challenging market conditions BFT is managing to attract an enviable list of high profile international tenants that compliment this iconic development,” said Stephen Wyatt, country manager of Knight Frank Vietnam.

The building is now at more than 60 percent occupancy, with tenants including Samsung, Allen & Overy, Toyota Financial Services, Hoffman LaRoche, Mastercard and Sotheby’s International Realty.

BFT has more than 37,000 square metres of office space and the six-storey retail podium of over 8,000 square metres. Around 464 square metres of space is given over to a casual dining restaurant on level 50 and around 568 square metres of space is used for a fine dining restaurant on level 51, as well as 300 square metres on level 52 for an Executive VIP & Bar Lounge where tenants and their guests can wind down after a day’s work.