Whiteley Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Bayswater

Leading insulation manufacturer, URSA, has been selected as the specifier of choice at the redevelopment of historic London building, The Whiteley.

The former Whiteley's shopping centre in London's Bayswater is the setting for one of the most impressive property redevelopments in Europe, in a £1 billion project to convert the century-old shopping arcade into a high luxury residential, hotel, restaurant and retail complex covering more than 90,000 square metres.

In one of the company’s largest single project specifications to date, contractors Laing O’Rourke and architects, Foster and Partners, have opted for over 5,000 square metres of URSA’s glass wool insulation.

Ian Claydon, Technical Manager for URSA UK, commented: “This is undoubtedly one of the largest building projects in Europe and so being part of that is incredibly exciting.

“We have worked closely with the scheme architects to ensure that they have the best possible specification for their project and that is undoubtedly URSA’s glass wool insulation, our premium insulation product.

“Glass mineral wool is the most efficient and user-friendly thermal and acoustic insulation material, both environmentally and from a cost-effective point of view. It is suitable for use throughout a structure, providing the most efficient insulation solution available on the market today.”

Ian added: “We’ll continue to work closely with both the contractor and architect to ensure products are delivered to site in line with the construction team’s needs. This is a long-term project and vast on every scale; we will continue to partner with distributor, Encon Insulation in Maidstone, who have been instrumental in this specification.”

The 110-year-old historic shopping center has been closed for two years after a prolonged decline following the opening of the famous giant Westfield London shopping center nearby in 2008.

The former shopping arcade, in one of the most influential areas of the City of London, at the northern end of Queensway and about 5 minutes' walk from Kensington Gardens, has become London's most fashionable development with the commencement of the building development behind the retained and refurbished Queensway and Porchester Gardens frontages.

The development includes 139 one to five-bedroom luxury flats and townhouses, with a starting price rumored to be in the region of £1.5 million, complete with spa, pool and exclusive communal workspace. 20 luxury shops and restaurants and 110 hotel rooms in the UK landing of the Six Senses luxury hotel/spa chain.

The project, which involves construction and engineering firm Laing O'Rourke and famed London contractors Lyons & Annoot, is based on an architectural project designed by Norman Foster's architectural practice, Foster and Partners.

Mark Guest, Regional Sales Manager for URSA UK commented: “Talking through the initial enquiry from Lyons & Annoot, the client was impressed by our quick response and ability to provide swift technical reassurance with an open approach. Being able to supply products immediately by working with the Encon network enabled URSA to cut delays associated with Covid, that were previously thought inevitable and costly”.

The redevelopment will retain the essence of the building, which at its opening in 1911 was the height of luxury at the time, with a theatre and even a rooftop golf course before being listed in 1970 and converted into a shopping centre in 1989.

The works will respect the iconic façade, central courtyard and dome of the old building which will be restored as well as the majestic and historic interior staircase, which will form the centerpiece of the hotel's ground floor.

URSA's state-of-the-art insulation materials are being used in the refurbishment work. The contractors have already used URSA CAVITY BATT 32 glass wool slab treated with water-repellent additives and glass mineral wool for first-class thermal and acoustic insulation.

With a fit-out contract of around £111 million, the 139 luxury homes will occupy a unique space of almost 28,000 square metres and are expected to be completed in 2023.