Silk Street scheme had to be revised after receiving more than 1,000 objections
Lipton Rogers has sounded out several big-name contractors for its SOM-designed 1 Silk Street scheme next to the Barbican in the City of London.
Building understands the developer has been in touch with Bovis, Mace, Sir Robert McAlpine and Multiplex about pricing the work which is expected to have a construction cost of around £500m.
The job was finally given the green light this spring with Lipton Rogers understood to have spoken to the four about carrying out the work in the past few months.
It is likely to be let as a two-stage contract, initially as a construction management project before being switched to a fixed price.
Lipton Rogers is currently sorting out section 106 agreements but it is expected tenders will be issued before the end of the year with a winner due by next spring.
Erith is already on site carrying out strip out work with other members of the project team including T&T Alinea on costs, Arup on MEP, DP9 on planning, Donald Insall Associates on heritage, Montagu Evans on townscape and Kanda on public consultation.
Lipton Rogers was forced to revise its plans, which involve replacing the London headquarters of law firm Linklaters with two office towers, after more than 1,000 people posted objections to the scheme’s original planning application submitted last summer. Among those opposing the plans were high-profile architects including Stirling Prize-winner Amanda Levete and Caruso St John co-founder Adam Caruso.
The initial proposal was for a pair of 20-storey towers to replace the existing 1980s block but this was changed to one tower of 20 storeys and a second of 16 which cut the amount of office space down from 91,000sq m to 86,000sq m.
Lipton Rogers and its development partner LaSalle Investment Management said the amendments had “respond[ed] directly to feedback received during the consultation process while reinforcing the project’s core vision”.
Other changes to the design include the addition of obscured glass panels to parts of the facade to limit views into nearby properties, fins on the exterior of the building to divert sightlines and automatic blinds that lower at dusk to minimise light pollution. More than 300m of new active retail frontage has also been added to the scheme’s ground floor levels.
As well as retail, the plans include new cultural and community spaces along with public realm improvements that will include a new public plaza opposite the Barbican Centre entrance and improved pedestrian connections through the site.
Earlier this year, Linklaters moved into new headquarters at 20 Ropemaker, the 25-storey building near Moorgate designed by Make and built by Skanska which was being fitted out by ISG before the contractor’s collapse, with the interior work subsequently being taken on by Structure Tone.
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