LUCENT W1
Lucent W1 is one of the most iconic sites in London located in the most vibrant of areas in the UK’s capital city, Piccadilly Circus, where nearly 200 million people pass through every year. It also hosts one of the most famous advertising billboards in the world, Piccadilly Lights, the largest single digital screen in Europe.
In 2012, leading real estate company Landsec commissioned the design for redevelopment of the island site behind the lights at Piccadilly Circus to create an award-winning design of brand-new mixed-use space to accommodate residential, commercial, retail and rooftop restaurant space, incorporating 144,000 sq.ft over seven storeys as well as the excavation of a three-storey basement.
At a glance
- ClientLandsec
- ServicesCertainty
- sectorCommercial, Residential, Retail
- LocationLondon, United Kingdom
Landmark building respects heritage while creating flagship property
The project was ambitious and prodigious in its scope with two million hours of construction work onsite. Working within one of the few traffic islands within London, and one of the busiest, the challenge was to take down the existing structure, brick by brick, and transport it offsite to be rebuilt. A challenging feature of engineering and logistics within a normal project, Piccadilly Circus is estimated to have over 200 million visitors pass through it yearly and the iconic lights and existing shop units were to remain in situ and fully operational.
The team needed to be agile and adaptive dealing with challenges like Covid, which saw some of the workforce returning home and others remaining onsite throughout the pandemic. There was also the need to be respectful of the heritage aspect of the project and retain the iconic façade, but incorporate new state-of-the-art elements like the open plan workspace and residential aspects.
“The RLB team was a constant on the development, really understanding what we were trying to achieve, adapting to the often-challenging circumstances and being integral in the success of this eminent building.”Jess White, Senior Development Manager, Landsec
Out of 1400 tonnes of waste produced, 99% was diverted from landfill and recycled. The building also achieved a BREEAM Outstanding assessment through:
- Bivalent ASHP system
- On-demand ventilation providing optimal indoor air quality and energy saving
- WELL pre-certified
- NABERS 4.5 star
- 23% reduction in emissions in comparison to Part L.
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