Gilbert-Ash completes 2 major London projects worth £44 million
Monday 29th February 2016
Gilbert-Ash has today announced that it has completed construction on two major projects in London worth a combined total of more than £44m. The Fetal Medicine Research Institute is a 5,255m² centre of excellence occupied by the Fetal Medicine Foundation of Harley Street and King’s College Hospital. Led by Professor Kypros Nicolaides, the world’s leading pregnancy expert and fetal medicine specialist, the Fetal Medicine Foundation aims to improve the health of pregnant women and their babies through pioneering research and training. The new building rehouses the world leading Harris Birthright Centre, caring for more than 10,000 patients each year, in a high quality hospital and research environment.
The project, valued at £22m, involved the partial demolition and refurbishment of existing terrace houses on the site, while retaining the front façade. Behind the houses the new three storey medical centre with two storey basement was constructed and connected to the refurbished and structurally altered houses.
On Savoy Place, Gilbert-Ash has also completed the headquarters of the Institution of Engineering &Technology (IET), a professional society for 150,000 members in 127 countries, in a project worth £22m.This project included an extensive refurbishment to preserve Savoy Place’s important heritage and saw a number of improvements being made to provide a modern home for the IET. With its opulent interiors and commanding views, the refurbishment created over 90,000ft² of event space, making it one of London’s most technologically advanced conferencing facilities.The IET building was built in 1889 and still retains a number of period features.
Ray Hutchinson, managing director of Gilbert-Ash, said: “Both of these projects have been particularly exciting to work on, not least because of the clients involved but also because of the way they have brought together traditional features with a very modern sense of style. Our work has demonstrated how practices and technologies can be used to bring important historic buildings up to modern standards in a sustainable way.“The IET is an excellent example of how regeneration can enhance an existing environment whilst maintaining the clarity and brilliance of the original architecture. The stunning building is a unique blend of past and present beautifully placed on the north bank of the River Thames at Savoy Place next to the world famous Savoy Hotel.”
He added: “At the Fetal Medicine Research Institute we wanted to create a calm and simulating environment for users. The swooping feature columns in the glazed atrium provide a dramatic focal arrival space that reflects the ambitions of the new unit to improve the level of care to pregnant women.”
