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Built To Last Generations: A Case Study on Lansdowne House

October 2026

A ten-storey Mayfair office designed for a lifecycle to span generations has required its delivery team to rethink how a scheme of this kind is sequenced, procured and managed. Chris Burns, Associate Director at Real PM, explains the decisions behind it.

Lansdowne House, Berkeley Square CGI © AHMM

Historically, many commercial office buildings have not been built with long-term adaptability in mind. They are built, occupied for a few decades and then demolished, a cycle embodied by the 1980s block that previously stood at the southern end of Berkeley Square. Inflexible and inefficient, with multiple cores, short spans between columns and low ceilings, it could not meet the demands of a modern office and was cleared to make way for something with a deliberately different premise.

Its replacement, Lansdowne House, is being delivered with the objective of a generation-spanning lifecycle, a building designed to last that can be reconfigured and repurposed over a very long period that would see other structures come and go. That ambition is what has most shaped the project’s programme.

The scheme, that recently topped out last month and is due for completion towards the end of 2027, will provide 225,000 sq ft of Grade A workspace alongside 14,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space. Targeting BREEAM Outstanding, NABERS UK 5 Star and WELL Platinum ratings, it will become the European headquarters of Blackstone once it completes.

Real PM is acting as Employer’s Agent and Programme Manager, working with Development Manager CO-RE, alongside architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, contractor Mace, MEP engineer AECOM, structural engineer Tyréns AKT and cost manager Turner and Townsend Alinea. Planning consent was secured in 2020 with support from the CEMP we delivered. Demolition then started in 2024 and main construction in 2025.

A structure that drives the programme

The building is organised around a concrete “sway frame” that pushes the envelope on what can be achieved with concrete and concentrates structure and stability within the frame itself, freeing up large, column-light floor plates that can be reconfigured over time. Stairs, lifts and services sit in a core that is independent from the sway frame, allowing the core to be reconfigured or disassembled without impacting the main building structure. Heating and cooling pipework is embedded in the concrete, using its thermal mass to regulate internal temperature and reducing the need for future retrofit.

Unique concrete “sway frame” design for Lansdowne House

That structural approach carried a significant programme consequence. Because of the complexity and sheer mass of the concrete structure, the team had to rethink the conventional construction logic and sequence, reaching the top of the structure before starting the façade, because the quantity and complexity of both the precast and in-situ concrete necessitated full utilisation of the tower cranes from ground until topping out of the structure.

“On a building like this, the order things happen in cannot be taken as a given,” says Chris, “The complexity of the concrete frame meant we had to get to the top of the structure before we could begin the façade, which is different to how most schemes go up.”

Procurement was approached on the same logic. The concrete contractor was brought on board very early in the main contractor PCSA period so their expertise could help shape the design while it was still live.

“Bringing the concrete contractor in that early meant we could draw on their knowledge and experience while the design was still being resolved, and work through the buildability questions in good time rather than discovering them on site,” says Chris.

The structural strategy is paired with high-quality architectural visual concrete, which leaves little room for error in either design or construction. Robust weather-related contingencies were built into the casting programme to avoid water staining and protect the finish, reflecting the level of planning required when the structure is also a defining architectural feature.

Absorbing a major change mid-build

The introduction of a double-height, 250-person auditorium spanning levels 8 and 9 while the building was under construction, brought another set of challenges to secure planning consent, redesign the structure and the resulting forces at pace while the structure was rising.

Rather than allowing a major design development to disrupt the live construction programme, the project team established it as a parallel workstream, carefully sequencing design, approvals and procurement alongside the ongoing works. By managing this complex process independently before integrating it at the appropriate point, the team avoided delaying construction, maintained momentum on site and protected the overall programme.

Looking ahead

Delivering a development of this scale on a tight, busy urban site brought its own logistical demands. The site sits opposite a five-star hotel and The Lansdowne Club, beside a busy bus route and a well-used public square. Managing construction activity in that context has required sustained local stakeholder engagement and careful coordination with the surrounding neighbourhood.

Deliveries have been made on a just-in-time basis, including the monolithic columns manufactured in Cornwall, to manage the lack of on-site storage and keep activity moving efficiently. On a constrained Mayfair site, programme management is not only about the critical path. It also depends on the precise timing of materials, access, communications and site operations.

Sustainability has been designed into the process. Steel from the previous building has been reused, and the temporary site offices were placed on a gantry over the street, and this steel was designed so it could later be reused in the upper part of the building. These innovations reflect the wider project objective to reduce waste, extend useful life and think beyond the immediate construction phase.

Lansdowne House’s double-height auditorium in construction

Lansdowne House during construction from street view

The wider lesson

Lansdowne House has already been recognised for its design, winning Best Future Office at the World Architecture Festival 2022. But for the teams delivering it, the more lasting value may lie in what the project demonstrates about building for adaptability.

“A project this unique and technically challenging could not be realised without a committed and collaborative team at every level, united by the drive to deliver an exceptional building,” says Chris.

“Mace has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to delivering on the programme and a collaborative, solutions-focused approach to the challenges encountered throughout construction. That commitment has been matched by the client team, with CO-RE as development manager, who have consistently backed the design and invested in a landmark, high-quality building that will set Lansdowne House apart from other office developments. Looking back, it’s the collective effort that stands out most. Everyone involved has played a part in creating something genuinely special, and I think the whole team should be incredibly proud of what we are achieving together.” – Chris

A genuine commitment to long life and low future intervention reaches back into how a scheme is sequenced, procured and managed, not only how it is designed.

As more developers weigh long-term performance against the cost, carbon and disruption of repeated rebuilding, the lessons from Lansdowne House are likely to travel well beyond Berkeley Square.

Gallery

The old 1980s Lansdowne House building

Interior of the old building which was extremely outdated

Lansdowne House_Crane_top_down_photo_pre-demo

Demolition in progress of Lansdowne House building

The concrete structure rising at Lansdowne House

Cranes at Lansdowne House

Real_PM_Project_team_Chris_and_Nizami_on_lansdowne_house_site_as_frame_goes_up

Real PM’s Chris Burns and Nizami Ozcelik at the Lansdowne House site as the first pre-cast column goes up

Construction of the basement of Lansdowne House looking to North East of the site. Photo highlights the flying shores

Lifting pre-cast column into position on the Lansdowne House site

Close-up of pre-cast cruciform concrete column head at Lansdowne House

Lansdowne House team visit to Techrete facility in Ireland to view a full scale mock-up of the façade

Close-up of arched concrete façade at the ground floor that will cantilever over Lansdowne Row

Open floor plates created by long spans between columns at Lansdowne House

Lansdowne House from Curzon street as a pre-cast façade element is placed

North East corner of Lansdowne House viewed from Berkeley Square showcasing concrete and stone elements

Real PM project team at the Lansdowne House topping out ceremony: from left to right, Nizami Ozcelik · Project Manager, Charlie Forte · Senior Planning Manager, Chris Burns · Associate Director and Sophie Bowen · Project Coordinator.

Project team poster at Lansdowne House Topping Out ceremony

Street view of Lansdowne House from The Lansdowne Club

Whole project team at Lansdowne House Topping Out ceremony

Project Team

CO-RE (Development Manager), AHMM (Architect) Tyréns AKT (Structural Engineer), Aecon (MEP), Turner & Townsend alinea (Quantity Surveyor), Mace (Main Contractor – Construction)

Read more about the project here: https://www.realpm.co.uk/projects/lansdowne-house-project