Bush House, one of the largest refurbishment projects in central London celebrated refurbishment progress with a topping out ceremony, symbolised by the lighting of the Bush House Christmas tree.
Part of the 300,000 sq ft Aldwych Quarter scheme which consists of four office buildings, the 120,000 sq ft, Bush House Centre Block, the iconic heart of the Quarter is undergoing extensive and creative refurbishment under the management of Jones Lang LaSalle. Aldwych Quarter also includes 35,000 sq ft, Melbourne House, 85,000 sq ft, Strand House and 55,000 sq ft, King House.
Andrew Williams, Director in Jones Lang LaSalle’s Project Management team, pivotal in the redevelopment of Bush House said: “The project represents a fine example of innovative refurbishment to generate new life and a strong future from what had been a declining asset. The refurbishment scheme will allow for separation of the blocks in to four standalone buildings each with their own entrance hall and M&E installations, capable of letting individually and on a floor by floor basis.”
“Since Spring 2013 the old BBC offices and studios have been stripped out, a vast undertaking which involved the removal of over 11,000 tonnes of waste of which nearly 99% was recycled. The Centre Block’s listed art deco features, marble halls and staircases will be retained and fully restored to their former glory while the building will have a BREEAM rating targeted at ‘Excellent.”
Paul Cossell, Managing Director of ISG’s fit out and engineering services business – the main contractor tasked with delivering this high profile project, commented: “Reaching this significant milestone highlights the key importance of a collaborative approach when delivering projects of the scope, scale and complexity of the Aldwych Quarter redevelopment. By working in such close co-operation and really understanding our customer’s requirements, we have developed an innovative programme that significantly reduces project duration and provides the option for phased occupation.”
John Robertson, Director of John Robertson Architects, said: “This is a very important project for Aldwych and the Strand. The team’s challenge has been to restore Aldwych Quarter to its original status as an economic anchor for the area: providing the client and future tenants with market-leading accommodation and facilities while celebrating the valuable and unique heritage of the buildings.”
The topping out ceremony on the 16th of December 2013 was hosted by Sadao Kato, Managing Director of Kato Kagaku and will be attended by key design and construction team members for the project including ISG and John Robertson Architects as well as Jones Lang LaSalle’s development, project and cost management teams.
Japanese owners Kato Kagaku appointed Jones Lang LaSalle to market the 300,000 sq ft Aldwych Quarter scheme in July 2012.
The four buildings are scheduled for completion and delivery to the market during Q2 2014.
Source: Jones Lang LaSalle www.joneslanglasalle.co.uk 17.12.2013