The timetable for a major new over-station development at Paddington has been brought forward, with main contractor Mace now preparing to start full construction in the first quarter of next year.
Developer Helical, which is delivering the project in joint venture with Transport for London’s property company Places for London, said the programme for the canalside scheme has been “materially accelerated” following early engagement with Mace.
Preparatory works are already under way on site ahead of formal acquisition, which is due to complete in January 2026. The scheme will deliver a 235,000 square foot office building above Paddington Station, adding premium workspace in a location with strong transport links and constrained supply.
Designed by Grimshaw, the proposed 19 storey building will provide 15 floors of office accommodation above ground floor retail, activating the canalside frontage and stitching the new development into the wider Paddington regeneration area. The value of Mace’s contract has been reported at around £200 million.
As a result of the reworked programme, completion is now targeted for the third quarter of 2028, bringing the delivery date forward from the previous target of the fourth quarter. Helical noted that this would see the building come to market at a time when prime office supply in central London is expected to be particularly limited.
Alongside progress at Paddington, Helical has also confirmed that heads of terms have been agreed for the forward funding of its development above Southwark Tube station, again in partnership with Places for London.
This project will see the construction of a 429 studio student accommodation building, with the 44 affordable homes within the scheme forward sold to the London Borough of Southwark. Both transactions are expected to exchange before the end of the year.
Construction at Southwark is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026, with completion of both the student accommodation and the affordable housing targeted for 2029, further underlining Helical’s role in delivering complex, transport-linked schemes across the capital.
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