ISG has officially handed over the new BBC Cymru Wales headquarters at Central Square, Cardiff to the corporation.
Key stakeholders at the official hand over today (from L-R) Alan Bainbridge, Director of Workplace BBC; Paul McCarthy, Chief Executive of Rightacres Property; Rhodri Talfan Davies, Director of BBC Cymru Wales; Jon Folley, BBC Workplace; Gerard Evenden, Senior Executive Partner at Fosters + Partners; Jason Hyatt, Project Director of Rightacres Property; Jon James, Regional Director of ISG
A drone fly-through of the new BBC Cymru Wales headquarters is available to view here
The £44 million contract was completed exactly on time – 16th April 2018, a target date set nearly four years ago.
Jon James, ISG’s Regional Director said: “Legacy is a fitting term to describe the immense achievement represented by this celebration today. The successful delivery of the BBC’s new headquarters in Wales exactly on programme is a fine example of what our industry can achieve when it works collaboratively, embraces technology and innovation and works towards a common goal. There is an amazing sense of pride from every single person involved in this project knowing that the legacy of the BBC’s move to central Cardiff will impact our city for generations to come.”
Commissioned by Rightacres Property, the Foster + Partner designed building is adjacent to Cardiff Central train station and will be home to some 1200 staff.
The Foster + Partners designed building has been completed by ISG exactly on the targeted date set four years ago
This milestone scheme for ISG in Cardiff has firmly established the contractor’s major project credentials in South Wales. In addition to delivering the iconic broadcast centre, ISG is also nearing completion on the adjacent 148,000 sq ft Two Central Square office bock, as well as improving the public realm space immediately surrounding the new development, at a combined contract value in excess of £100 million.
BBC Director of Property, Alan Bainbridge said: “To hand a building over of this scale and complexity exactly on time and budget is a real achievement. We signed the agreement for lease back in December 2014 and the predicted handover date was today – it has been a fantastic effort by all parties and we now look forward to completing the fit-out ready for occupation next year.”
With ‘next generation’ web technology, the new broadcast centre is the centre-piece of the Central Square regeneration project and will be the first BBC facility in the UK to use live IP Technology. Overbury and Sheppard Robson will now begin an 18-month fit-out process for live broadcasting.
Chief Executive of Rightacres, Paul McCarthy added: “The on-time completion of the new BBC Cymru Wales headquarters is testament to amazing team effort put in by ISG and its sub-contractors. It marks an important milestone in the development of Central Square and has been a committed effort from start to finish.”
Work on Central Square, a 1.5 million sq ft mixed use regeneration scheme, began in 2014 with One Central Square now fully occupied. ISG is also building Two Central Square also designed by Foster + Partners. The building has been pre-let to Hugh James Solicitors and Cardiff University’s School of Journalism. It will be ready for occupation in September 2018.