The project will revamp 132,000 sq ft office space in three linked buildings to create a single building with 293,000 sq ft GIA.
In addition to 188,000 sq ft of office space, the redesign includes affordable workspace, a replacement public house and a public café.
Angel Square is above and alongside the Angel Islington tube station. It was only built in 1991. Previously owner Derwent London sold the building in 20921 to Tishman Speyer, owner of New York’s Rockefeller Center.
The Angel Square refurbishment retains around 70% of the existing structure, infilling a central courtyard and adding two new floors with roof terraces after demolition of the upper level. The cores will be moved to a central position, freeing space and opening up floor plans.
McLaren’s shell and core contract includes Cat A fit out of the two new floors and installation of new plumbing and services, largely relocated from the roof to the basement. Plant will be electric throughout and supplemented by renewable energy from rooftop photovoltaics.
A new glass reinforced concrete (GRC) façade replaces the 1980s brick façade and is inset with glazed terracotta.
The building’s embodied carbon is significantly reduced through use of the existing ribbed reinforced-concrete frame, resulting in an embodied carbon target of 475 kgCO2e/m2 for the A1-5 lifecycle stages covering products and construction processes.
McLaren is contributing to the project’s sustainability by recycling materials through Protec’s Proplex closed remanufacturing scheme, using Protec Correx protection sheets and sustainably sourced steel.
According to plans, the finished building will achieve BREEAM Excellent (with an aspiration to Outstanding), WELL Gold (with an aspiration to Platinum) and targets a NABERS 5.5-star rating.
McLaren starts on site in June 2023 and is due to complete in the fourth quarter of 2024.
![As Angel Square looked when Derwent sold it in 2021 [photo from Derwent]](https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/assets/news_articles/2023/04/1680503465_angel-square.jpg "As Angel Square looked when Derwent sold it in 2021 [photo from Derwent]")
McLaren’s regional managing director for London, Darren Gill, said: “These heavy refurbishments of existing structures are increasingly vital as a sustainable way of meeting occupier demands for modern office space with high environmental performance. They can be delivered relatively quickly and Angel Square shows that the new building needn’t be limited by the previous layout. An intelligent design like this one can create a lot of extra space.”
Nacho O’Leary, senior director overseeing Tishman Speyer’s design & construction activities in the UK and Ireland, said: “McLaren has the experience of heavy refurbishment and of building above underground stations, which perfectly complements the rest of the project team. Together we will deliver a sustainable refurbishment which is a top priority for the firm. With Angel Square, Tishman Speyer is further extending its premium-quality office portfolio, while continuing to create an exemplar of ESG-focused and community-based design that will revitalize a prominent gateway site to Angel.”
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
