The Madison

Clever solutions for a constrained site.

This striking 52-storey tower will provide Canary Wharf with 423 new residences. The apartments are a mixture of social rented, affordable, and private sale. A double-height amenity floor on the sixteenth floor features a gym, private lounge and cinema rooms. Meanwhile, in the basement there is a pool, spa and sauna facility for private use by the residents.

Challenging space.

The site had challenging existing utilities infrastructure, which needed careful diverting and negotiation with the statutory authorities. Rather than reduce the size of the scheme, our client looked to us to negotiate an agreement that would divert key infrastructure away from the site.

A series of proposals were made to:

• Thames Water to divert a 40m section of a 300mm diameter Trunk Main away from the proposed perimeter piling line.
• National Grid to relocate a medium-pressure gas governor to the other side of our site without loss of supply to surrounding customers.
• UKPN to install a new HV electrical supply to the site from the nearest available primary sub-station more than 2km away.

Cost savings.

By diverting gas, water and drainage utilities, the basement floor area could be maximised. This meant our client could offer more basement car parking to residents without having to dig lower into the site.

Our design engineers were also able to technically review and challenge any requests/claims for additional expenditure, which meant we could limit the costs associated with these diversion works for our client.