McLaren gets start date for £94m Angel Square contract

Developer Tishman Speyer has awarded the £94m shell and core contract for the refurbishment of Angel Square in Islington, north London to McLaren Construction with work set to start in June.Work will transform 132,000 sq ft of office space in three linked buildings to create one 293,000 sq ft building containing 188,000 sq ft of office space,affordable workspace, a replacement public house and a public café.The refurbishment will retain around 70% of the existing structure, infilling a central courtyard and adding two new floors with roof terraces after demolition of the upper level. The cores will be moved to a central position, freeing space and opening up floor plans.The building’s embodied carbon is significantly reduced through use of the existing ribbed reinforced-concrete frame.McLaren’s shell and core contract includes Cat A fit out of the two new floors and installation of new MEP, largely relocated from the roof to the basement. Plant will be electric throughout and supplemented by renewable energy from rooftop photovoltaics.A new glass reinforced concrete façade replaces the 1980s brick façade and is inset with glazed terracotta.McLaren will start on site in June with work due to complete in Q4 2024.McLaren’s regional managing director for London, Darren Gill, said: “These heavy refurbishments of existing structures are increasingly vital as a sustainable way of meeting occupier demands for modern office space with high environmental performance.“They can be delivered relatively quickly and Angel Square shows that the new building needn’t be limited by the previous layout. An intelligent design like this one can create a lot of extra space.”Nacho O’Leary, Senior Director overseeing Tishman Speyer’s Design & Construction activities across UK and Ireland, added: “McLaren has the experience of heavy refurbishment and of building above underground stations, which perfectly complements the rest of the project team.“Together we will deliver a sustainable refurbishment which is a top priority for the firm.“With Angel Square, Tishman Speyer is further extending its premium-quality office portfolio, while continuing to create an exemplar of ESG-focused and community-based design that will revitalize a prominent gateway site to Angel.”