Waterloo International Terminal, London

RPS was appointed as Cost Manager for the redevelopment of the former Waterloo International Terminal, where developer LCR is creating a new retail and leisure destination in the heart of Waterloo and the South Bank.

Overview

LCR’s vision ‘is for a destination that is progressive and unique to this part of London, with a vibrant mix of independent and high street stores, complemented by an exciting food and drink offer’. Time Out Market has been confirmed as the anchor tenant and will bring a handpicked mix of the best of London’s food, drinks and cultural experiences when it opens in 2021.

The lower levels of the former Waterloo International Terminal (below former platforms 20 – 24) will be converted into retail and leisure uses. The proposals have provided the opportunity to reuse an award-winning building, which has been closed since Eurostar services moved to St Pancras in 2007 and will deliver modern retail and station facilities to complement the existing facilities at Waterloo Station.

Challenge

• The key challenge of this project is working with multi-stake holders, being the DfT, Network Rail, LCR as developer/Client, and neighbouring parties.
  
  
• The project team needed to understand the complexities of the significant structural changes, enhanced security requirements and in coordinating the development proposals with preceding works being carried out under a separate construction Contract and by a separate development group to safely deliver the alterations required for the new use requirements within a Grade II listed existing structure.
  
  
• Challenges arise from the constraints of implementing a construction Contract within an area that will be accessible by the public and within the context of the busiest rail station in the UK.
  
  
• The requirement to procure the Contract through the OJEU process limited the contractual options and scope of potential future costed change during the construction implementation phase.

Solution

• Pro-active market testing of key packages ensured that the appropriate budget was authorised prior to commencing the formal OJEU process.
  
  
• The Contract had to plan for the alteration and completion of works, which did not exist and where the exact installation or design would not be known at the stage that the retail design was completed and tendered. A Competitive Dialogue process was formulated and managed by RPS to reduce the risk associated with the incomplete as built information at the point of tender.
  
  
• With limited site access and potential for unexpected site conditions, communication and coordination between the interested parties was essential to maximise the quality of available information and design certainly. With the differing priorities of the interested parties, planning for the inevitable deficiencies of available as built information necessitated the design group and Contract to plan for further studies through on-site surveys and clarification of the completed installations as the first stage of implementation of the works by the appointed contractor and to verify the design intent of the contract.
  
  
• Being a Traditional Construction Contract, this planning and preparation has been coordinated by the design group with suitable contractual arrangements and planning for the build phase. The Contract itself has been designed to anticipate and facilitate financially managed design development and incoming tenant changes.