16 Old Bailey

Evoking the grand buildings of Paris, the Edwardian Baroque façade 16 Old Bailey is located in Mid Town, adjacent to City Thames Link station and a short distance away from St. Paul’s and Chancery Lane tube stations. The building occupies a prominent position on the western elevation of Old Bailey, directly opposite Old Bailey High Court. The redevelopment scheme aims to transform the original 92,000 sq. ft. office building into a 115,000 sq. ft. over 8 floors.

Phase 1 of the works included the strip-out and enabling works package to facilitate the refurbishment and extension of the offices at 16 Old Bailey, London.

Phase 2 of the works comprised the construction of a new central core and slab infill to the existing structure. This includes approximately 400-t of new structural steelwork with composite slabs being tied into the new reinforced concrete core.

• works comprised the full strip-out of existing finishes
• demolition of the existing core and secondary stairs
• partial demolition of the existing floor slabs
• removal of atrium glazing, roof and secondary stair core façade glazing
• temporary works and the installation of new piles.

The design of new steelwork into an existing structure was a particular challenge that we faced on this project. Robust surveys were undertaken throughout the building to ensure the accuracy of steelwork fabrication and assist with a smooth installation process.

Due to the nature of the site, there is a large volume of blind lifting activities with the tower crane. To overcome this, Deconstruct implemented new hook block technology and installed a camera on the hook providing the tower crane driver with a real-time view of areas not otherwise seen. This solution improved efficiency and safety during lifting operations.