Crown House, Aldwych

The project incorporated the demolition of Crown House (51 Aldwych) and 1-5 Kingsway and included the retention of three facades facing onto Kingsway, Aldwych and Drury Lane. The development would re-provide these two buildings into a single building. The new structure is ten storeys in height and includes residential units on the ninth and tenth floors.

To maintain stability of the façade during demolition of the internal structure a façade retention system was designed supported on piled foundations. The system was generally an external cantilever structural steelwork system; however an internal system was adapted to the Drury Lane elevation due to the narrow footpath width. The retention system consisted of five steelwork towers linked together through horizontal waling beams.

Carefully sequencing of the work and extensive temporary works were required in order to maintain stability of the building during demolition.