SSDA 2017
Formerly known as Communications
LSQ London
HGV Egress Ramp, Selfridges, London
10 NSC
Annual Review
House, LSQ is a 1920s building
that overlooks London’s famous
Leicester Square. Over the past
90 or so years it has been enlarged several
times and had become inefficient in terms of
maximum utilisation of space.
“Our design makes the best of the existing
building by retaining the historic façades, and
sensitively restoring them to maintain the
integrity of the original architectural features
and details,” says make Lead Architect
Frank Filskow.
“The design of the building naturally
leant itself to using steel for the primary
structural elements. The design of the new
steel structure introduced a new central core,
and enabled clear, open-plan floorplates,
improving the office spaces.”
Waterman Structures Director Jody Pearce
agrees and says: “One of the key aspects of a
façade retention scheme is the alignment of
new floors with existing window openings.
We promoted the use of a steel frame as
it offered the flexibility needed to suit the
various interfaces that occur with the
existing façade.”
“By integrating the suspended services
within the structural downstand beam zone,
the depth of the floor zone against the façade
was minimised, thus assisting the alignment
of new floors with existing windows further.”
The existing building envelope is
partially retained with new upper storeys of
commercial floor space being provided. The
design delivers two basements, two floors of
retail space and seven floors of high quality
office space with a new entrance.
The upper floors are enclosed by a new
curved mansard roof. This contemporary
roof design is supported by a structural
steel-framed central core and new perimeter
stanchions. The new office floors are columnfree
with spans of up to 12m providing what
is said to be very efficient floor space.
The judges say the use of structural steel
for the new internal structure, including
cores, enabled new clear-span floorplates to
be achieved, while respecting the existing
listed façade. It minimised disruption during
construction in London’s busiest tourist area.
With its graceful three-storey ‘top-knot’,
the building has a new lease of life as a
striking yet respectful landmark.
This project showcases the role steelwork
can play in the extension and re-purposing of
historic buildings.
In 2012, a master plan feasibility report
was prepared for Selfridges that
explored redevelopment opportunities
across its store in London.
The aim was to create a unified retail
block within the buildings bounded by
Oxford Street, Orchard Street, Wigmore
Street and Duke Street, something US
founder Harry Selfridge wanted when the
store originally opened in 1909.
Once work got under way, the first phase
included the rearrangement of access to the
store loading bays, located in the basement
immediately below retail space.
The completed works update access to
modern requirements and prepare for a
second phase, which will see a dramatic
refurbishment of the eastern store frontage,
opening onto the new accessories hall when
it completes in 2018.
This first phase of the project included
major engineering interventions in a highlyconstrained
site.
“Steel was chosen as it was the most
FACT FILE
LSQ London
Architect: make
Structural engineer:
Waterman Structures
Steelwork contractor:
Bourne Steel Ltd
Main contractor:
Multiplex Construction
Europe Ltd
Client: Linseed Assets
Ltd
FACT FILE
HGV Egress Ramp,
Selfridges, London
Architect: Gensler
Structural engineer:
Expedition Engineering
Steelwork contractor:
William Hare
Main contractor:
Blue Sky Building and
SRM JV
Client: Selfridges
appropriate material for the project due
to the site constraints imposed by the
confinements of the existing building and
compatibility with the existing structure,”
explains Expedition Engineering Associate
Alessandro Maccioni.
“Using steel also allowed the frame to be
broken down into elements of a size that
could be erected within the tight site.”
The Duke Street phase of the project
also included forming a new staff entrance
into the building below Edwards Mews and
realignment of the HGV entrance ramp to
the loading bays.
The primary feature of the first phase of
works was the insertion of a new 50m-long
165t steel-framed bridge structure through
the existing store to improve HGV egress
from the basement loading bays.
This new structure is a braced steel tube
linking the loading bay within the basement
to Duke Street.
The creation of this new egress ramp
within an existing steel structure was highly
complex, yet successful. A key challenge for
the engineering design and construction
was that the work was to be carried out
in a live and busy existing building, with
ongoing high-end retail operations being
immediately adjacent to the work zone, say
the judges.