AstraZeneca set to replace Skanska on delayed £500m HQ

Aaron Morby 7 years ago
Share

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is understood to be in talks to replace Skanska on its delayed flagship HQ project in Cambridge.

Costs have skyrocketed beyond £500m on the vast project, which now looks set to be completed nearly two years late.

Striking HQ saw-tooth roof, which carries on through to the facade, has presented challenges

Both AstraZeneca and Skanska refused to comment on the situation.

But rumours are rife that Mace could now be in called in to finish the project at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

The complex was originally due to be finished in the third quarter of 2017. Now the project is timetabled to finished in May next year.

But sources claim this second extended deadline may not be met with the pharma giant now looking at a phased occupation of the building for its near 2,500 staff.

Last year the Enquirer revealed the expected cost of the headquarters and R & D complex had soared from £330m to over £500m.

A source said:  “It seems the project is facing delays of approximately two years, caused by water ingress into the basement because of the high water table requiring a lot of remedial work.

“There have also been issues with design and roof loadings.

“There is a general amazement that after over two years the building still presents as a shell and core project with very little services, containment, switchgear or cabling installed.”

Skanska is understood to be working on a cost-plus basis and has been throwing resources at the site, including senior managers from its neighbouring Papworth Hospital project as this scales down.

Earlier this year Skanska applied to the local council to extend working time on the project by 25 hours a week, ramping up permitted working inside the building from  7am to 8pm on weekdays and 7am – 8pm on weekends.

This application blamed the overheated construction market and the inability to gain enough contractors to enable the construction timetable to be met.

The project management switch comes at a torrid time for Skanska, which posted £33m of writedowns last year and delivered a wave of job cuts at its UK headquarters in Maple Cross.

Skanska’s delayed AstraZeneca and Papworth hospital projects sit next to each other at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus

In June, Skanska suffered another major setback on its neighbouring £165m Papworth hospital project at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus after flammable cladding was found fitted to the building.

This project was expected to open in September but will be delayed for several months while the substandard cladding is replaced.

If Mace is confirmed as the new project lead at the AstraZeneca job, it would be the second time in a year that the firm has stepped in to take over a Skanska contract.

Mace also replaced Skanska on the £1bn+ Phase Two contract at the Battersea Power Station redevelopment in London after the client revised its contract strategy on the project to construction management to control costs more tightly.

 

 

Latest news

Deck falls off huge scissor lift at Winvic site

Two men seriously injured as platform plunges to the ground
2 days ago

Bouygues seals deal for £119m Cardiff college campus

Construction to start in June on two new buildings
2 days ago

Bid race starts for £15bn schools framework refresh

DfE throws framework open to more contractors
2 days ago

Berkeley’s £600m Borough Triangle project approved

Controversial scheme features two towers of 38 and 44-storeys
3 days ago

London Mayor calls in blocked 600-bed student scheme

Refused 20-storey London PBSA block may still be built
2 days ago

HG to build 500-bed London Stratford student scheme

Work will start later this year subject to gateway 2 safety approval
3 days ago

Arrest after pedestrian death on construction site

Tragedy during site preparation works for new Wigan car park
2 days ago

British Steel threatens closure of Scunthorpe blast furnaces

Chinese owners say sectional steel and rail supplies will be maintained
3 days ago

Planning green light for Sheffield warehouse site

Existing factories to be demolished in new scheme for Rula Developments
2 days ago

New rail property company to unlock land for 40,000 homes

First four sites released in Newcastle, Cambridge, Manchester, and Nottingham
3 days ago

Drainage specialist Subscan files administration notice

Specialist employing 131 people files court notice
3 days ago

Four win Network Rail £300m engineering design deal

Eastern region deal will include design for Northern Powerhouse Rail
3 days ago

Funding go-ahead for Banwell bypass after fresh cost hike

Galliford Try contract rises £14m to £64m after final design change
3 days ago

Graham wins Southport £75m Marine Lakes Centre

Firm replaces Kier which parted ways with backer Sefton Council
3 days ago

Chancellor unveils extra £2bn capital spend a year

Construction promised a defence dividend in military base and homes upgrade work
4 days ago

McLaren confirms subcontractor team on £135m warehouse job

Work starts on TN2 Gateway site in Kent.
4 days ago

Vistry profits slump after site costs reporting debacle

House builder launches internal whistle-blowing service in business culture review
4 days ago

Severfield chief to step down

Alan Dunsmore to leave structural steel group by end of June
4 days ago

Funding hurdle remains as Lower Thames Crossing gains consent

Government claims £9bn project may start in 2026 as private finance options explored
5 days ago

Mace wins £600m Euston Tower overhaul

1970s tower's foundations and core to be retained as floor plates extended
5 days ago

Summer start for main works on London green tower

Axa sanctions start at 50 Fenchurch Street 36-storey office block
4 days ago

Japan’s leading flats builder JVs with L&G for UK push

Partners plan to build over 1,000 rental homes in London
4 days ago

Wates submits plan for 1,000 homes Harrow council scheme

Former civic centre Poets' Corner site kicks off housing partnership
4 days ago

Morgan Sindall upgrades forecast for next 12 months

Overbury fit-out arm gets off to a flying start in 2025
5 days ago

Restructure underway at Henry Boot Construction

New management team restructures business after drop in turnover
5 days ago

Government pledges £2bn stop-gap funding for 18,000 homes

Funding avoids cliff-edge in social housing delivery before new grant programme agreed
5 days ago

Just two major new roads schemes to start this year

National Highways sets out one-year interim spending plan after RIS3 delay
5 days ago

Plans go in for £400m GRAHAM Manchester site

Demolition and enabling works underway with main construction set to start next year
5 days ago

Building safety levy rate set at up to £10,000 a home in London

Levy introduction pushed back a year to Autumn 2026 - list of new rates
6 days ago

BAM wins £100m revamp of Broadgate Tower in London

Front of tower 3-storey extension to use cross laminate time and re-used steel
6 days ago

Contractor services