Battersea Arts Centre

Since 1974 it has been home to the arts centre that is regarded as one of the most important incubators of new performance work in the UK.

Building wide masterplan implementation of a Grade I and Grade II* Listed building refurbishment, courtyard and rooftop extension in addition to rebuilding and restoration of the Grand Hall Building following a devastating fire.

The project was delivered under various building contracts and via differing procurement strategies to suit each phase of capital works. We have delivered both single stage and two stage traditional contracts, and single stage design and build. All contracts delivered on or within budget.

Bristow have been engaged with Battersea Arts Centre for over ten years now. As part of our role as Cost Consultants and Employer’s Agent for the earlier capital works phases, we more recently liaised and managed negotiations with the loss adjuster after a significant fire during construction devastated the existing listed building. We provided invaluable support to the client in handling these negotiations, mindful of the need to reduce the amount of down time incurred by the Client.

The project included several new build and refurbishment phases whilst maintaining live operations. Bristow played an active role in strategically sequencing the capital works to facilitate the organisation’s day to day operations.

Early phases of the masterplan implementation programme focused on the front of house refurbishment and upgrades in addition to expanding the café/bar area to drive further commercial revenue.

In addition, first floor performance spaces were refurbished with new MEP services and associated infrastructure to provide more flexible spaces for a wider variety of uses including for gallery and exhibitions. New flexible lighting, ventilation, and rigging were included as part of the scope in addition to refurbishing the spaces themselves whilst preserving the listed fabric. Windows were upgraded with secondary glazing to provide better acoustic and thermal performance and black out shutters were installed to provide flexibility for performance modes/uses.

We managed an array of budgets for which all Cost Limits were set from the outset by Bristow, delivering each scheme either on or below budget.
The first three phases ensured Battersea Arts Centre could maintain its operation throughout the construction works. This required careful planning and pricing of the programme and sequencing impact on the main contractor.

Understanding the operational programme is particularly important for us to consider when allowances for non-productive working should be allowed for to facilitate restrictions on noise during daytime performances or events.