Methodist Central Hall, Westminster

WHAT: Refurbishing the Great Hall, administration offices and function rooms of a building opened in 1912 opposite Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. Work included installing a rising stage in the Great Hall, replacing an old heating system and forming a twin lift shaft to comply with Disability Discrimination Act.

HOW MUCH: £5.3m raised by Methodist Central Hall

TYPE OF CONTRACT: JCT

WHEN: Work started in October 2004 and finished in March 2006.

HISTORY: The Methodist Central Hall was built between 1905 and 1911 before opening in 1912. It was planned as a monument to mark the centenary of the death of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. The design was chosen after Lanchester and Rickards won an anonymous architectural competition out of 132 entries.

The building has since hosted events including the 60th anniversary of the United Nations, has featured in the film The Calendar Girls and is being touted as a location for the next Harry Potter film The Order of the Phoenix. Phase two of the recent work had to be completed by 6 June 2005, in time for the Great Hall to host the Royal Gala Concert of Reconciliation that commemorated the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II.

WHO: QS: Sawyer & Fisher, client: Central Hall Westminster Management Committee, contractor: Killby & Gayford, architect: Richard Griffiths Architects, structural engineer: Scott-White & Hookins, services engineer: BJP, planning supervisor: Moran Architects.

QS'S VIEW: "The biggest problem is that the building was still working. They closed the Great Hall to general bookings but were still running the main chapel and administration rooms so there were noise constraints: some days we could work and some days we couldn't. And it opened to the public after phase two so the noise constraint got more difficult as we got into phase three."

- Steve Scammell, partner, Sawyer & Fisher

Source

QS News