Skanska UK has secured a £273 million contract to deliver the redevelopment of One Appold Street, marking another significant addition to its portfolio of high-profile commercial office schemes in central London.
The project will see the comprehensive refurbishment and vertical extension of the existing building, originally constructed in the 1980s as part of the Broadgate estate. Rather than demolishing the structure, the scheme is centred on retaining and enhancing the current concrete and steel frame — a strategy that significantly reduces embodied carbon while accelerating programme efficiency.
Under the plans, six additional storeys will be added to the building, with floorplates enlarged to improve functionality and flexibility for future occupiers. Once complete, the development will provide a 14-storey, office-led building offering approximately 33,400 sq m of Grade A office accommodation, alongside 4,460 sq m of leisure and hospitality space at lower levels.
A new façade will be installed as part of the transformation, designed to align architecturally with the more recent additions to the Broadgate campus. The client for the scheme is Broadgate, a joint venture between British Land and Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC, with Piercy & Company appointed as architect.
Skanska is responsible for the main construction works, while its specialist subsidiary, Skanska Rashleigh Weatherfoil, will undertake the mechanical and electrical installation package. This integrated delivery model reflects Skanska’s strategy of combining in-house technical expertise with main contractor capability to enhance coordination and programme control on complex urban projects.
Terry Muckian, executive vice-president of Skanska UK’s building business, highlighted the contractor’s established relationship with British Land, noting previous collaborations on London office developments. He described the project as a significant addition to the wider Broadgate estate and a continuation of Skanska’s presence in the City’s evolving commercial landscape.
Sustainability is central to the redevelopment strategy. The scheme is targeting a NABERS UK rating of 5 to 5.5 stars and BREEAM Outstanding certification, placing it among the highest-performing commercial buildings in environmental terms. Circular economy principles have been embedded throughout the design, with the retention of the structural frame forming the cornerstone of the project’s carbon reduction strategy.
Skanska project director Tony Boorer emphasised the importance of refurbishment over replacement. By preserving the majority of the existing concrete and steel frame, the project avoids the substantial embodied carbon associated with demolition and the manufacture of new structural steel. The approach also minimises material waste and reduces disruption in the densely built City environment.
Construction is now under way, with practical completion scheduled for the first quarter of 2029.
The One Appold Street scheme forms part of a broader pipeline of London office work for Skanska UK. Current live projects include a £105 million nine-storey office block for Baola Properties and a £197 million contract awarded by the Grosvenor and Mitsui Fudosan UK joint venture to deliver two new office buildings in Mayfair. Together, these schemes underline sustained demand for high-specification, sustainability-led office space in prime central London locations, despite wider market fluctuations in the commercial sector.
