ISG secures £89 million pounds Cardiff mixed use transport interchange project

ISG has secured an £89 million construction project to deliver the Cardiff Transport Interchange building for Cardiff-based developer Rightacres at its flagship Central Square scheme. The project is being funded by Legal & General and designed by Cardiff-based Holder Mathias Architects.

This project is a further development of the relationship between ISG and Rightacres, that has already seen ISG successfully deliver the new Foster + Partners designed BBC Cymru Wales headquarter building and Nr Two Central Square, home to Hugh James and Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, and significant public realm improvements. This latest win is ISG’s single largest UK construction project of 2019 and takes the contractor’s tally of work awarded at Central Square past £200 million.

The mixed-use project is one of the largest developments undertaken in the city centre, delivering circa 500,000 sq ft of new space, which includes the 14-bay bus interchange with a covered concourse, 318 apartments for the Private Rented Sector and circa 90,000 sq ft of modern open-plan, quality CAT A office space.

The scheme embraces the construction drive toward efficient practices and modern methods of construction, utilising off-site manufactured bathroom pods and a slip form system to accelerate the construction of the concrete cores of the new building. ISG will use an enclosed four-storey platform on a jacking system to sequentially form the reinforced concrete frame and immediately weather proof each floor as the platform rises up the tower.

Kevin McElroy, ISG project director, commented: “The Cardiff Interchange has been one of the most highly anticipated developments of recent years and this announcement reflects real collaboration and vision from all project stakeholders to create a mixed-use scheme that delivers for our city. Not only will this dramatically improve connectivity for businesses, residents and visitors to Cardiff, but alongside the iconic BBC Wales headquarters, will transform this strategic gateway site.”

Jason Hyett, Rightacres project director, commented: “The signing of the build contract marks a great landmark in the project’s timeline and is thanks to the input of a great number of people. We look forward to working with ISG and the project team to deliver, what will be, another great building in the city.”

Stephen Hill, Holder Mathias partner, said: “The interchange is an extremely complex, challenging and multi-layered project that, once complete, will provide a modern, innovative and truly mixed-use set of environments. Not only will it deliver Cardiff’s new bus and coach station, but it will provide a landmark residential offer in a key city centre location and dynamic new office accommodation. We are delighted to have the opportunity to implement our designs in partnership with Rightacres and ISG in a scheme that fuses so many vital elements of the city together and is the final piece of the Central Square regeneration development.”