The six-storey mixed-use development comprises of four buildings and includes flexible retail space, a large pub, a 600-seat Curzon cinema, an improved and expanded Waitrose store, 47 residential apartments and high-quality office space. The upper levels are stepped back to create residential terraces and a rooftop bar providing views across Chelsea, Battersea and Westminster.
Surrounded by high-end designer shops, prestigious residences and a fully operational Waitrose store within the site – the highest grossing Waitrose store per square foot in the country, this project brought with it significant technical and logistical challenges.
One of those being the formation of the basement for the new cinema. The whole structure sat on a 1m raft, 13m deep and 7m below the water table –this was the deepest basement to date that Wates has ever dug, with 27,000m3 of soil removed. We had to put forward a solution to our client on how we would make sure this huge basement was fully waterproofed. We engaged with a specialist subcontractor and sourced a waterproofing system that could withstand the intense water pressure – and it has been a resounding success.
From design through to delivery, collaboration was key.
This project demonstrates our continued commitment to sustainability. By adopting a
robust fabric first approach and engaging early with air tightness specialists to partner with us we were able to massively over-achieve on the energy efficiency requirements set by our client.
The build has a low-carbon design with solar panels, six green roofs and a blue roof with a SUD’s system. We are confident that we have delivered all our elements to a BREEAM Excellent standard.
We worked with Globechain to create a circular economy, re-using and recycling materials.
Working in the tight confines of the Kings Road, we had to consider the best method for installing complex elements including the cladding. We opted for the pre-cast cladding method to ensure maximum safety for the public, and minimal disruption to the Waitrose
store, allowing its main entrance to remain unaffected. Over 85% of the external cladding was prefabricated off-site in a factory, eradicating the need for scaffolding and exclusion zones and improving quality.
There was also a huge amount of complicated steelwork with four trusses, 600 pieces of steel and 5000 connecting bolts that formed the frame weighing a staggering 500 tonnes. This challenging structure was designed to maximise off-site fabrication where possible to limit on-site assembly. Through utilising off-site manufacturing, we reduced carbon emissions and improved efficiency and quality.
The historic art deco façade of the original Gaumont Palace Theatre building, designed in the 1930s by renowned cinema architect, William Edward Trent was restored following a local campaign to retain its heritage.
Our in-house temporary works team came up with a solution to support the façade whilst our specialist supply chain restored it, bringing back to life some of the original features..
The project delivered significant community investment for the local area, generating £600K of social value.
Highlights include:
Our team supported the Children’s Book Project, a local charity established to help address the huge difference in the language development of children from ‘book rich’ homes and those with few books. A donation point in the site hoarding was set up which saw 21,000 books donated that were then distributed to disadvantaged young readers
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