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FFICES THESE days are temples of indulgence as much as places of work. One Vanderbilt, a new skyscraper in Manhattan, has unveiled a restaurant run by Daniel Boulud, a Michelin-starred chef. Amazon’s second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, will include an amphitheatre for outdoor concerts. In London, 22 Bishopsgate is so dog-friendly that its receptionists issue passes to pets. The recently opened glass tower, which dominates the City of London’s skyline, also houses a climbing wall and a spa.
As companies try to tempt workers back to the office, developers and investors are betting on new buildings with alluring amenities. But a huge uncertainty hangs over them: will enough people come? Even as vaccinations progress, workers have been slow to return. In early May only one in 20 buildings in America had occupancy levels above 10%, compared with a third in Europe and Africa, and roughly half of buildings in Asia, according to Freespace, a property-tech firm. With the retur