Lendlease carrying out pre-construction on British Land’s £400m Euston Tower makeover

Lendlease is carrying out pre-construction work on British Land’s proposal to overhaul Euston Tower in central London which is due to be sent in to Camden planners before the end of the year.

Building understands the contractor, which is also working on CO-RE’s scheme at 120 Fleet Street as well as the same developer’s stalled job to overhaul the former ITV Studios on London’s South Bank, has been providing advice on how best to carry out the work ahead of the planning application going in.

The work will see the 50-year-old building stripped back to its core and increased in size from 320,000 sq ft to 500,000 sq ft. It will also retain the foundations and basement.

British Land is still making up its mind about whether to tender the job – or strike a negotiated deal with Lendlease – which is believed to have a construction value north of £400m.

As well as Lendlease, which redeveloped the nearby One Triton Square for British Land a few years ago, other members of the project team include QS and project manager Gardiner & Theobald, executive architect Adamson, planning consultant Gerald Eve, M&E consultant Arup and sustainability consultants Buro Happold and GXN.

The latter is a sister firm of architect 3XN, the Danish practice which has drawn up the proposal for the revamped tower and is also working on British Land’s 2 Finsbury Avenue, a 37-storey tower due to be built by Sir Robert McAlpine at the ongoing Broadgate redevelopment, although McAlpine has not yet signed on the dotted line.

Also working on the Euston job is DSDHA which is set to concentrate on the public realm. Work is not set to be completed until 2030 with the job due to start some time in 2025.

Built in 1970, the 36-storey Euston Tower has recently been occupied by HMRC while previous tenants have included Atkins. It has been vacant for around two years. Designed by Sidney Kaye, it was also once home to Capital Radio, now based in Leicester Square.

British Land has previously described the tower as the “gateway” to its Regent’s Place campus.

Under the plans, 300,000 sq ft of the revamped block will be given over to offices and the remaining 200,000 sq ft earmarked for the life sciences sector.

As well as Euston Tower and 2 Finsbury Avenue, British Land is also behind plans for another scheme at the Broadgate site – 1 Appold Street.

Three firms are in the mix for the job – Skanska, Lendlease and Multiplex – with sources saying Skanska, which is finishing off British Land’s Norton Folgate scheme at the northern end of Bishopsgate, is favourite for the job.

But a winner on the £220m scheme  is not expected until next year while British Land sorts out a pre-let. Meanwhile, the firm’s One Broadgate job, being built by McAlpine and which is due to finish in 2025, has been 100% pre-let to law firm Allen & Overy and real estate business JLL.