British Land jv restarts construction of 'Cheesegrater'

British Land and Oxford Properties have recommenced construction of The Leadenhall Building, dubbed the Cheesegrater, in London's Square Mile. Contractors are back on site and pressing ahead with the laying of structural support for the 56,000-m² building.

Located at 122 Leadenhall, the tapering 47 storey, 224m tower was designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners and is due for practical completion in mid-2014.

Combining flexible office space with retail and dining facilities, the development features a landscaped, seven-storey open space at the base of the building, which covers nearly half an acre and is of a scale unprecedented in London, the joint venture partners said in a statement.

The development's tapering shape delivers floor plates of varying size, ranging from 1,950 m² on the lower floors to 560 m² at the top of the tower, all with spectacular views over the capital.

Nigel Webb, head of Developments at British Land, said: 'Since completing the joint venture partnership with Oxford Properties late last year, we have moved quickly to return to site and forge ahead with the construction of this iconic new London building. The Leadenhall Building is already generating strong interest from a broad range of occupiers in the insurance, financial, professional and corporate business sectors and will complete at a time when we believe strong demand and supply constraints will coincide.'

Richard Pilkington, Development director, Oxford Properties added: 'Our plan was always to move quickly in the New Year and it's great to see major construction activity on the site again, giving confidence to the occupier market that The Leadenhall Building will be delivered by mid 2014.'