Farringdon-based main contractor, RED Construction Group, has been appointed by Argent Related and Barnet Council to deliver Brent Cross Town’s temporary Visitor Pavilion, which is the first building to be delivered as part of the £5bn town centre development in North London.
RED Construction Group commenced work in late December on an 8,000 sq ft , three-storey, temporary visitor centre on Claremont Way in Brent Cross to showcase Brent Cross Town’s masterplan and vision. It is expected to be open to visitors by the end of 2021.
Designed by Moxon Architects, the building will capture and communicate the ambitious scale of Brent Cross Town, which will become a new park town for London and will establish a new standard for large-scale urban regeneration.
The new development uniquely incorporates 50 acres of parks and playing fields which are central to the attraction for people to live, work and visit. Brent Cross Town will deliver 6,700 new homes for sale and for rent, alongside restaurants, sports and leisure facilities, and will be a major new office destination. With 3 million sq ft of office space, it will create a business ecosystem for 25,000 employees. The new neighbourhood has pledged to be a carbon zero town by 2030 at the latest, and will connect to King’s Cross in 12 minutes via the new Brent Cross West station which is under construction and due to be completed by the end of 2022.
The Visitor Pavilion and associated landscaping was consulted on during events held in June and July 2020. The designs incorporate an exhibition space, flexible ground floor commercial space, as well as space available for community use. It will be constructed by RED Construction as a low-carbon, innovative Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) superstructure which eliminates the need for a steel frame and will feature a timber-clad façade. The building will sit alongside a line-up of temporary community uses including the Exploratory Park play area that opened in August this year.
Graham Sturge, Managing Director of RED Construction, commented on the appointment: “As RED Construction specialises in London developments, it is brilliant to be appointed to contribute our expertise to a scheme of this scale in the city, with an ambitious and highly sustainable vision. A pivotal space for all involved with Brent Cross Town, the Visitor Pavilion will also demonstrate RED’s in-depth knowledge of CLT, which has been implemented on previous projects such as Axtell House in Soho, London.”
Nick Searl, Partner of Argent Related and Joint-Lead for Brent Cross Town, says: “Delivery of the Visitor Pavilion centre is an important early step in Brent Cross Town’s evolution and will provide a wonderful space in which to share our vision. We look forward to working with RED Construction to bring it to fruition, and for the Visitor Pavilion to begin telling the story of Brent Cross Town, a park town that will support the future of London.”
The news follows the recent announcement of RED Construction Group’s appointment to deliver a six-story mixed-use commercial redevelopment of Townsend House in the heart of London’s Victoria district. In addition, RED Construction is also working on a landmark 16,170 sq ft residential conversion at Audiology House, in London’s SW12 conservation area, as well as a comprehensive Edwardian-inspired refurbishment project at 20-23 Greville Street in Holborn, London – all three projects totalling in excess of £33m.
RED Construction is working with the following project team for the delivery of Brent Cross Town’s Visitor Pavilion:
Client: Brent Cross South Development Managers
Architect: Moxon Architects
Structural Engineers: Expedition
MEP Engineers – Loop Engineering
About RED Construction Group Ltd
RED Construction Group Ltd is a Farringdon based main contractor specialising in Central London and South East projects within the £5m to £30m range. RED Construction undertakes both new build and refurbishment projects and across the commercial, hotel, residential, retail and care sectors.
These often encompass confined or difficult sites, exceptional health and safety requirements for the site and public, tight programmes, rigid budgets, competition for the best trades contractors and the need for excellent community engagement.
About Brent Cross Town
Brent Cross Town is the neighbourhood at the heart of the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme. It is a joint venture between Argent Related and Barnet Council to develop a large-scale mixed-use development including new homes, retail and office space, as well as improved schools and greenspaces in the area. Early work started on site in early 2020 and construction is also underway on the new Brent Cross West station which will be completed by the end of 2022. Building on the strengths of this diverse part of the city, Brent Cross Town will draw inspiration from the best of London’s long-established neighbourhoods with all their complexity and character. At its heart, will be a focus on sport, play, health and well-being. The new neighbourhood will provide 6,700 homes, state-of-the-art workspace for over 25,000 people, and pedestrian friendly streets and squares with local shops and restaurants that will complement the offer at Brent Cross Shopping Centre. The community will be supported by first-class public transport infrastructure, a new and improved network of walking and cycle routes and a series of new parks and other amenities. www.brentcrosstown.co.uk @brentcrosstown
About Argent Related
Argent Related brings together an extraordinary blend of complementary skills, access to global capital and unrivalled technical and delivery experience. Argent Related generates superior returns for all stakeholders by developing for the long-term. Argent, the respected developer with a track record in creating exemplar new pieces of UK cities including King’s Cross, joined forces in March 2015 with Related, the most prominent privately-owned real estate firm in the United States responsible for Hudson Yards. The company has a £5 Bn+ development pipeline in London which includes the delivery of two major regeneration schemes featuring over 7,900 homes, over 3 million sq ft of office space, 50 acres of parks and playing fields, as well as retail, leisure, student accommodation and schools, both highly accessible from new and improved public transport connections. It is currently working in a joint venture with Barnet Council on London’s 180-acre Brent Cross South site, with the London Borough of Haringey for the Tottenham Hale redevelopment and is progressing other opportunities in London including a build-to-rent development in King’s Cross. www.argentrelated.com
