McLaren to fit-out Financial Times' return to old City HQ

McLaren has bagged the job to refurbish New Bracken House in the City of London for the Financial Times’ return to its former headquarters in the Square Mile.

Bracken House (pictured) by St Paul’s Cathedral was the newspaper’s home until the 1980s, when it shifted to the Southbank.

The building designed by high profile 20th Century-architect Sir Albert Richardson was the first post-war building in England to be Grade II listed after a campaign to prevent it being demolished.

However, in 1989 Bracken House was partly demolished to incorporate the Michael Hopkins and Partners redesign, including the glass and steel façade, for the building’s new owners, the Obayashi Corporation. The Japanese firm still owns the building.

The new designs by John Robertson Architects will deliver 270,000 sq ft of Grade-A office accommodation with over 1,500 desks, an audio and video studio suite and live broadcasting facilities.

The revamped building will also be reconfigured to create new open courtyards.

The fit-out is due to complete in the third quarter of next year.

Domonic Egan, operations director at McLaren Construction London said:  ‘’The New Bracken House Project is a challenging and exciting addition to our current workload in London and further strengthens McLaren’s credentials as a leading contractor for commercial office buildings including CAT B fit out. We look for forward to working with Obayashi on this landmark scheme and delivering a high quality modern office building.”