Caunton have completed the erection of the steel frame for a new media studio facility right in the heart of Covent Garden for client The Hospital Group Ltd. The concept is the brainchild in part of Dave Stewart, the singing star of the Eurythmics, who has acted as consultant for the project.
The site originally housed the old St Paul's Hospital building which had been unoccupied for nearly ten years. Only the two existing facades, those to the Endell Street and the Shorts Garden elevations, have been retained. The remainder of the old building was totally demolished to basement level.
Caunton carried out the connection design, and supplied, fabricated and erected the 410 tonnes of structural steelwork the structure comprises.
When complete the structure will provide 5000m sq of floor space. A substantial part of the ground floor, first floor and second floor area is suspended from two major trusses located between the third and forth floor levels. This clever feature therefore creates clear spans for both the ground and first floor areas, and the basement studio area is completely free of columns.