The Pavilion

The Pavilion project is an extension of an existing office building to form new office space along the South bank of the River Thames. The works to this multiple award-winning building involved a metal frame structure, concrete slab/walls, lift shaft extension and curtain wall cladding/glass installation.

The works were also carried out whilst the building was still a live environment.

The enabling works started with the erection of the scaffold to all four elevations of the building and a small temporary roof to cover the lift shaft. A passenger/goods hoist was also installed to allow access from the ground floor to the roof without having to access the live building.

All existing finishes (slabs, stones and insulation) were also removed from the roof via the hoist, including removal of the existing Davit system, MEP strip out and removal from site to fifth floor.

This development presented a number of challenges to be resolved, particularly water ingress throughout a winter that had seen some of the heaviest downpours recorded for years.

Further challenges were posed by logistics for the crane and the constraints imposed by a small area for deliveries, storage and waste.

There were also complications with waste transfer from the roof to the ground floor, as well as access and egress for labour and deliveries. These were resolved by the installation of a goods/passenger hoist, which allowed items to be unloaded safely and with ease.

Being situated in one of the oldest parts of Southwark, and with neighbouring tourist attractions such as Tate Modern, the Globe Theatre and the Millennium Bridge, traffic management was also a huge consideration during the project. In addition, the close proximity of neighbours due to the building remaining live called for noisy works to be restricted.

Moreover, as the project took place during two waves of COVID-19, further difficulties arose from complications in the management of deliveries from abroad and sub-contracted labour.