After nine months working under a preconstruction services agreement (PCSA),  McLaren Construction has signed a contract for the £90m remodelling of Brettenham House, just off the Strand in central London.
Refurbishment work, which started on site back in September 2014, is set to modernise the interior, create usable roof space and restore uniformity and original detailing to the façade, particularly at ground level on Lancaster Place where the building faces Somerset House on the approach to Waterloo Bridge.
The 128,716 sq ft (NIA) of office space will be refurbished to achieve BREEAM Outstanding, NABERS 5* and EPC A, along with WELL Platinum accreditation. Remodelling of the building will take outdoor terrace space to 6,600 square feet.
The basement will be modernised to reduce car parking and provide cycle storage spaces and end-of-journey facilities. Building services and glazing will be replaced and upgraded.
Built as an office development in 1932 and recognised as a building of merit within the Savoy Conservation Area, Brettenham House retains many original features, including art deco marble staircases.

Alterations over the years have disrupted the historic pattern and details of the facade, especially at ground floor level. Some details, such as the bronze lanterns that marked the main entrance, are missing and will be recreated. The service louvres and grilles on Savoy Street will be covered by decorative openwork grilles.
McLaren’s supply chain on this project includes:
- Steel and concrete: Deconstruct
- Piping, unistrut and brackets: Grant Walker Engineering
- Insulation, VCL membrane and plasterboard: David Andrews
- Lifts: Kone
- Window frames and glazed units: Propak
- Window frames and glazed units: Crittall
- Scaffolding: GKR
- Stone: PAYE
- Block and windposts: Swift Brickwork.
Darren Gill, managing director for London & South at McLaren Construction, said: “This monumental building at the top of Waterloo Bridge will be a familiar landmark to so many of London’s workers and visitors and we will all enjoy seeing it restored and revitalised. It’s not so long ago that it would have seemed like a tall order to bring a 1930s building up to the standards of a brand new office, but that’s become a far more familiar and achievable task.â€
Work is scheduled to complete in spring 2026.
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