First building on project in London’s Victoria had been built by Mace

Sir Robert McAlpine is being tipped to land the second phase of work at Landsec’s Nova scheme in London’s Victoria.

Building understands the firm is in pole position for the Nova East office scheme which has been designed by Lynch Architects. It is believed to have a value in excess of £100m.

Nova East was originally drawn up as a 14-storey scheme and given planning three years ago but a revised planning application to Westminster city council was sent in just before Christmas to make the building a 17-storey block.

Hoardings at the Bressenden Place site went up last month with Kent firm Blu-3 beginning site investigation work earlier this month ahead of piling starting this autumn.

Mace completed work in 2017 on the first part of the Nova scheme, which was completed in spring 2017, comprising Nova South, Nova North and The Nova Building.

But Landsec said the £340m job ended up late and over-budget which helped send Mace’s pre-tax profit tumbling 70% to just £10.7m in 2016.

The third phase of the development is called Nova Place, also designed by Lynch Architects, with this part of the scheme including retail and office space along with a new library. The height of the building will run from four to seven storeys.

Firms working on both Nova East and Nova Place include services engineer Aecom and structural engineer Robert Bird.

McAlpine last year won another Landsec job at 21 Moorfields, designed by Wilkinson Eyre, in the City of London.

The scheme, which will be split across two buildings with the tallest rising up to 16 storeys, is being built above the Crossrail station at Moorgate although one source said Landsec was procuring all the main trade packages directly which is understood to have knocked back the start date. “I think it’s a few months late and it’ll end up being a CM job.”

nova east

The Nova East building pictured in the middle with the Nova Building on the left