Working for interior fit out contractor Como, Putney & Wood, the specialist stone contractor, completed the installation of this dramatic backlit Onyx feature wall as part of British Land’s ‘Green Refurbishment’ of 199 Bishopsgate, London, that was completed in October.
Close to Liverpool Street railway station in the City of London, this refurbishment is an example of best practice for high specification office projects of this nature.
John Robertson Architects (JRA) designed numerous improvements to the existing building, which was constructed in 1989, to upgrade the office space and significantly improve the building’s thermal performance and, therefore, reduce its energy consumption. There is now 14,500m2 of Grade A office space that has achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’.
The three-month programme was undertaken by fit-out specialist Como (part of the Mace Group) and as part of the scheme JRA specified the backlit Onyx feature wall for the reception.
Following a competitive tender, the stone package, which included travertine flooring for the reception plus travertine flooring to the lift lobbies over 10 storeys, as well as the Onyx feature wall, was awarded by Como to Putney & Wood.
Putney & Wood’s in-house design team worked closely with JRA, the lighting panel supplier and the Italian Onyx supplier to create the feature wall to match the architect’s vision.
First, a steel frame was fixed directly to the substrate, then an aluminium cassette system was fixed to the steel frame to receive the lighting panels. Finally, 30 glass-backed Onyx panels with individual lighting were installed with a stainless steel separating trim. The Onyx itself is just 5mm thick, bonded to 10mm thick, two-layer toughened glass.
Commenting on Putney & Wood’s performance, Steve Gibson of Como said: “The aggregate score drawn from all the construction disciplines [on the project] is 9.25. Putney & Wood was individually scored at 9.5. Well done on delivering an outstanding product on what was a particularly difficult project. Good work! I look forward to working with the company on our future projects.”
Key project information
- Client: British Land
- Architect: John Robertson Architects
- Fit out: Como
- Stone specialist: Putney & Wood
- Stones: White Onyx and Esta Laila Filled Travertine
- Value: £750,000