Bovis lands first major scheme since being bought from Lendlease with London tower win

Bovis has won its first major job since being bought by private equity from Lendlease earlier this year with a scheme to build a new tower on Gracechurch Street in the City of London.

Building understands the firm was told earlier this week it had won the deal at 60 Gracechurch Street which is being developed by Sellar and Japanese construction giant Obayashi.

The firm beat remaining rival Mace for the job which is believed to be worth around £330m. A bid from Multiplex was tailed off earlier in the process.

Bovis was formally bought by new owner, US private equity firm Atlas Holdings, at the end of March nearly a year after its Australian parent put the UK construction arm, then known as Lendlease, up for sale.

The win is a tonic for a business that is still waiting to find out whether it has won a £600m deal to build a new office block at 18 Blackfriars for Hines where it is up against Multiplex.

The 36-storey building at 60 Gracechurch Street has been designed by Danish practice 3XN, the architect behind British Land’s 2 Finsbury Avenue tower which is being built by Sir Robert McAlpine.

Mace was considered an early favourite for the Gracechurch Street job, having had a history of working with Sellar stretching back to the Shard with its most recent deal for the firm being Renzo Piano’s Cube at Paddington, although the project was hit by the collapse of M&E contractor MJ Lonsdale in 2023.

But Bovis has signed a PCSA for the deal with construction set to begin in January next year when Sellar gets vacant possession of the site. Keltbray has been appointed demolition and concrete contractor for the work believed to be worth around £35m.

The new tower will replace the site’s existing nine-storey Allianz House, a mid-1990s building containing 13,300 sq m of office space.

The job was given approval by City planners just before Christmas despite concerns from heritage groups over the scheme’s impact on a neighbouring grade I-listed church.

It will also contain a free to access evening destination on the 35th storey called the ‘Sanctuary’ and a public roof garden offering views to the west over the City.

The project team includes executive architect Adamson Associates, cost consultant T&T Alinea, project manager Gardiner & Theobald, structural engineer Arup, planning consultant DP9 and transport consultant Velocity. Landscape architect is Townshend.

The job is one of a series of towers planned for Gracechurch Street with Stanhope’s scheme at 70 Gracechurch Street, designed by KPF, getting the green light in February although work is not expected to start until 2028.

A third tower, at 85 Gracechurch Street, has been resubmitted to City planners after the discovery of a Roman basilica at the site which has meant the height of the building will be reduced by two storeys to allow the remains to be on permanent public display in the basement.

The revised 30-storey scheme for developer Hertshten Properties has been designed by Woods Bagot.