Consultant drafted in to strengthen team as Mace tries to work out how much tower will cost

Turner & Townsend has been drafted in to project-manage the Shard in London Bridge for developer Sellar Properties.

The consultant has been brought in after the switch to a fixed-price contract from the originally proposed route of construction management. The 310m high tower is being built by Mace as main contractor.

One source close to the project said that T&T’s involvement was intended partly to reassure the project’s Qatari investors over management of the scheme.

Mace has recently been given an extended deadline to produce its quote for the project as it is currently unable to make an offer within the original £350m budget. The overrun is understood to be caused by the tower’s M&E works.

Bernard Ainsworth, who was appointed project director on the Shard five weeks ago, said T&T had been brought in to strengthen the team.

He said: “The appointment was a robust and speedy action. I was looking to strengthen the team, and once Mace took the role of contractor it meant we would need to bring in a project management service.”

T&T is understood to have beaten off competition from two rival consultants.

Primus, the fledgling consultancy led by former Multiplex construction director Martin Tidd, which has been advising Sellar, is ending its involvement in the project.

The move is not thought to be connected to T&T’s appointment.

Mace was originally in talks to construct the Renzo Piano-designed building under construction management, before the client discussed the possibility of a fixed-price deal with Laing O’Rourke. This led Mace to agree to build the tower on a fixed-price contract.