This month’s construction industry gossip: Sparkles and stars

We’ve got the power

Battersea Power Station kicked off this year’s festive spirit recently by calling on mega-star Kylie Minogue to press the button to light up a giant Christmas tree and thousands of twinkling lights along Electric Boulevard. Unfortunately she couldn’t attend the press trip some days later to the Chimney Lift Experience. Named LIFT 109, this glass elevator took two of my colleagues up inside the north-west chimney to the 109m-high viewing point. The sudden reveal of the 360º view momentarily silenced the chatty group of journos, all except for a “woo-ahh” from the Building contingent – ever the wordsmiths.

Ups and downs

To be fair, Building’s scribes have penned a multitude of words about the reconstruction of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s power station over the years. In fact, our technical editor is somewhat of an authority on all the facts and stats, having been on site visits at various stages of the project and written one of the most comprehensive reviews of the revamped building on its completion in 2022. So, a contender to win the power station touch-screen quiz, you would think? Well, he says he would have won if only it weren’t for the lift departure countdown distracting him. Excuses, excuses.

The elevator took two of my colleagues up to the chimney’s 109m-high viewing point – the 360º view momentarily silenced the chatty group of journos

 

Canary in the goldmine

It’s been quite a turnaround for Canary Wharf, which only 18 months or so ago was being written off as past it. “2025 will be our best leasing year in over a decade,” purrs chief executive Shobi Khan. To cap it off, US bank JPMorganChase has just announced plans to build a huge tower there, designed by Foster + Partners. Rachel Reeves – so often accused of being too pessimistic about the UK economy – is equally bullish. “A multibillion-pound vote of confidence in the UK economy,” the chancellor says of the proposal, “and this government’s plans for growth, which are built on the rock of stability.” And U-turns and tax rises, one might add.

Shardenfreude

A team from Mace have spent the first couple of weeks of December taking on Minecraft gamers in a challenge to build the best version of the Shard. The team are competing against gamers and content creators as part of the national gaming fundraiser Jingle Jam, which raises money for Become – the national charity for children in care and young care-leavers. Mace is aiming to raise £10,000, doubled to £20,000 by match funding, with a judging panel, led by Become, deciding on the winner during a livestream later today (12 December). Given the Shard, built by Mace of course, is universally loved, it’s difficult to see how it can be improved – unlike some other towers in the capital.

This one won’t fly

Remember those Barratt adverts on the TV years ago? Actor Patrick Allen flying around in a helicopter turned Barratt into a household name. Well, Vistry has launched its own TV campaign, running this month, for its Countryside business using something called a Smart Ad Engine, owned by Channel 4. I think the result is that ads are cheaper to make. Material has been “harnessed from the brand’s existing website content”, the blurb adds. Presumably not a helicopter and deep-voiced actor in sight, then.

The great sequin hunt

Did anyone spot a sparkling trail across the Grosvenor House Hotel ballroom at the Building Awards last month? Those who did and followed it would have discovered Alison Nicholl at the end, laughing about the unexpected glittery breadcrumb effect. The BRE’s head of Constructing Excellence had chosen a sparkly dress for the evening, which turned out to shed sequins generously throughout the night, she told my hack with a smile. It certainly made her easy to find among the 1,000 guests.