The clean, geometric lines of the new office and retail development at 150 New Bond Street are defined by the Portland limestone cladding fixed by Putney & Wood.

This modern eight storey office and retail development in the Westminster Conservation Area, London, stands prominently at the junction of Bruton Street and New Bond Street. Designed by Rolf Judd for PRUPIM, Prudential’s property investment division, the £9million scheme provides 1,625m² of office space on the upper six storeys and 375m2 of prime retail space on the ground and basement levels.

Design and build contractors Skanska appointed London stone specialists Putney & Wood to carry out the stonework package, which includes 600m² of 75mm cladding in Jordans Portland Basebed limestone from Albion Stone with a 150mm Whitbed blocking course. There is a plinth in Karin grey granite supplied by Granite Granite.

Putney & Wood also fixed the honed Burlington Brandy Crag flooring and skirting and Portland stone wall linings in the reception, where the reception desk uses the same combination of stones, the Brandy Crag for the top and Portland stone vertical linings.

The structure of the interiors was unsuitable to support the weight of solid stone for the soffits, so Putney & Wood sourced lightweight, aluminium honeycomb-backed composite panels with 7mm Portland stone facings for the soffits and facias from Chelsea Artisans in Esher.

PRUPIM, who have Bluewater shopping centre, Manchester’s Arndale Centre and the Oxford Science Park among the projects in their extensive portfolio, have a specialist in-house team of environmental and health & safety specialists and to ensure safe installation of the 490x1000x75mm thick Portland stone ashlar panels, a running beam was erected to support the stones while they were manoeuvred into position. Putney & Wood installed smoke cavity barriers at every level.

The project achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’.

New Bond Street is one of London’s most prestigious shopping districts and the lower level retail premises are currently occupied by the world renowned Italian fashion house of Prada.