18 Blackfriars aka THe Round

Project Description

Now titled The Round, the 18 Blackfriars project sees the development of 3 towers that received planning in April 2024. The proposed developement consists of an office tower of 44-storeys, and a 40 and 22-storey residential blocks with 40% of the homes slated to be affordable. Each tower sits on a shared 4-storey podium and 2-storey basement.

The 2-acre brownfield site in the London Borough of Southwark had previously remained undeveloped for 20 years. The Round will not only bring high-quality commercial and residential provisions to the area, but also places great emphasis on social wellbeing and culture. Seeking to properly reflect and embrace the site’s cultural surroundings, the Grade II Listed Mad Hatter hotel is set to be sensitively refurbished and a community café that social enterprises will run, a 300-seat auditorium available for local communities and businesses, children’s play areas, cafes, restaurants, and shops will all be constructred. The development aims to be the first high-rise scheme in the UK to achieve the WELL Community Gold Standard, which certifies developments that support health and wellbeing.

“We believe our plans for 18 Blackfriars will set a new standard in premium quality workspace in London, both fully integrated into its hyper-local community and seated right at the heart of our capital city. Bringing this scheme to life underlines our long-term conviction in London as a thriving, global center for culture, education and business.”

– Ross Blair, Senior Managing Director and Country Head of Hines UK

Additionally, The Round aka 18 Blackfriars Road is designed to be fossil fuel free, 100% electric and Net Zero Carbon in operation, with 95% of the site’s heat demand served by ground source heat pumps that share, store and offset energy.

Real PM’s Role 

Real PM has provided a range of services on the pre-construction phases of the 18 Blackfriars development. We were contracted first by Black Pearl on their 2017 scheme and then brought back on board when Hines acquired the site in 2021.

What started during the pre-construction phases of the development, providing a CMP to support the planning application, has grown into programme support for the full development and Project Management services on additional works. Below is a breakdown of our full-service delivery on the development to date:

Strategic programme
Logistics
Construction Management Plan
Programme Support
Project Management for additional works