Red Group has been appointed to complete a £50m office redevelopment at 5 Chancery Lane in central London after the collapse of previous main contractor Ardmore Construction.
Developer LS Estates appointed Red’s London division as construction manager on the project, which is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2027.
Ardmore was originally appointed as main contractor in December 2023 but entered administration in August 2025. Red’s appointment is intended to maintain continuity across the redevelopment and its supply chain.
The scheme will deliver approximately 9,755 square metres of office accommodation within a building originally constructed in 1910.
Corstorphine & Wright is acting as delivery architect, developing the original concept and design by Foggo Associates.
The works include demolishing the existing top floor and adding two new floors, alongside a roof terrace incorporating a cross-laminated timber structure. The refurbishment will retain the existing façade and 86 per cent of the building’s structure, while a new glass dome will increase natural light to the upper floors.
Red estimates that retaining the structure will save 4,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Operational improvements are expected to reduce annual emissions by 540 tonnes compared with the existing building.
The scheme has been pre-assessed for BREEAM Excellent certification. Red will work alongside project manager and quantity surveyor Gardiner & Theobald to complete the redevelopment.
Red Group group director Ian Hopkinson said: “A refurbishment of this size and importance requires vast experience and the ability to quickly onboard for the benefit of the project’s supply chain and eventual occupier.”
LS Estates managing director Rowan Jenkins said the developer remained committed to delivering the building in 2027.
The appointment follows Red’s selection for another LS Estates office redevelopment at Portwall Place in Bristol. Red’s South West division was appointed to the BlackRock-funded project, which involves approximately 13,935 square metres of office accommodation.
Red London was also recently appointed to refurbish the Buckley Building in Clerkenwell, a scheme that will provide approximately 8,268 square metres of office space. The project aims to retain the building’s BREEAM Outstanding rating and achieve an EPC A rating.
