Rebuilt City tower erected with steel

Originally built in the 1970s, One Angel Court is being rebuilt with a steel frame to create a new standout City of London office scheme.

The 24-storey concrete framed building was demolished in 2014, with the exception of its centrally-located core, which was retained so that a new structure could be built around it.

With the core refurbished and heightened, a new steel-framed office block, erected by Severfield, has risen up on the same spot providing 32,500m² of floor space – 60% more than was formally available.

Replicating the original structure’s octagonal shape, One Angel Court incorporates two podiums, north and south, both in the same positions as the previous building’s podiums, but at seven-stories high these structures are higher.

According to Mace Project Manager for Structures, Marios Antoniades there are a number of reasons why the new tower and connecting podiums are steel-framed instead of concrete.

“Steel has helped us achieve longer spans, a quicker construction programme, add one additional floor and a double-height plant enclosure to the top of the tower, while allowing us to re-use the existing core and foundations.”

The tower features 9m clear spans from the centrally positioned core to the perimeter steelwork. Supporting composite metal decking the radial beams are 254UBs, while the perimeter members are slightly larger 525UBs.

Completion of the project’s shell and core is scheduled for October this year, and the fit-out is then expected to be finished by the end of this year.