lEADING architectural practices Foster and Partners and Kohn Pedersen Fox have been invited to bid for the third phase of the £700m Paddington Central mixed-use scheme in London.
John McAslan & Partners, Sidell Gibson and Hamilton Associates are also to be interviewed by developer Development Securities over the planned £50m office block.

Development Securities project director Wally Kumar said: “It will be 10 or more storeys. It is a little bit taller than the scheme’s other buildings to give it a presence.”

Kumar said Foster and McAslan had been invited because they are two of the biggest names in UK architecture; Sidell Gibson and KPF because of their work on other buildings in the scheme.

Hamilton Associates was added because of the reputation of director Robin Partington, a director at Foster until late last year.

The architects are expected to be interviewed by the end of the month, with a decision to be made in the summer.