Shell Centre plant replacement.

Powering a new future.

The Shell Centre is located in London on the South Bank of the Thames near the London Eye. Originally built in the 1950s, it was an innovative development, arguably ahead of its time. It was the first commercial workspace in the country to utilise double glazing and also featured an original cooling system that rejected heat into the Thames via a complex system of filters and heat exchangers.

Moving with the times.

However, the existing services were extremely dated. We were approached by our client to complete initial condition surveys and then a feasibility study into the best approach to undertaking required works. These would allow us to assess the potential cost of upgrading the building services of the site all while keeping the building operational.

Following the feasibility study, we brought our extensive practical knowledge into the process. We implicitly understood the task, but it was important that we defined the logistics of how to achieve it. We needed to get to grips with the stakeholder outcome requirements and to educate the wider team about the engineering practicalities and time limitations of the challenge ahead.

Brought out of its shell.

The site works were extensive. They included stripping out and replacing the building’s chillers and renewing everything from the river-water cooling system, heating system, and fire suppression system to replacing voltage switch panels and transformers, fire alarms, and BMS controls. All the work was carried out in a live building environment, which meant everything we did had to support business-critical operations.