20 Years Ago: New Westminster and Chelsea Hospital

A year ago, Graham Wood Structural Limited were appointed to provide the structural steel for the new Westminster and Chelsea Hospital. The contract covered 6,000 tonnes of steelwork plus metal decking and staircases.

Graham Wood’s erection of the structural steel frame for the hospital is on programme, and completion happily coincided with the Foundation Stone ceremony attended by Secretary of State, Kenneth Clarke, on Wednesday 19th September 1990. The 46 weeks steelwork site programme means that the building of the hospital is on target for the expected 5 year concept-to-completion period, which represents half of that traditionally needed to build a new hospital.

Fast-track techniques engineered by the Waterman Partnership and managed by Laing Management Contracting have heklped to accelerate more traditional building methods, which Graham Wood have supplemented by more efficient standard steelwork connection concepts, and the incorporation of standard steel staircases. These standard staircases, designed by Graham Wood in co-operation with the Architect, Sheppard Robson, have proved easier to supply and fix through standardisation of fixing details and lighter construction.

The 650 bed teaching hospital will be built for the NWTRHA on the site of the 111 year old St Stephans Hospital in Fulham Road.

The 1,110,000 sq ft hospital will comprise lower ground, ground and fibe upper levels designed around a central atrium. Car parking is provided at basement level. Two separate buildings housing a Mental Health Unit and a Nurses Home will also form part of this ‘fast track’ scheme on the 7.5 acre site.

Members of the development team are:

Client – North West Thames Regional Health Authority, Pro-ject Manager – CS Project Consultants, Architect – Sheppard Robson, Structural Engineer – Waterman Partnership, Services Engineer – Donald Smith, Seymour and Rooley, Quantity Surveyor – Gleeds, Main Contractor – Laing Management Contracting.