Working in one of London’s busiest commercial districts, GKR Scaffolding has delivered an unprecedented scaffolding solution on this high-profile project. Through early engagement workshops and high-risk work reviews with Overbury, we overcame the challenges of maintaining safe access and egress within a live, highly occupied space.
Our proven record of success on high-risk, high-rise projects such as The Shard made us the partner of choice for the scaffolding package at 25 Canada Square. This project demanded the same level of innovation, precision and leadership that has made GKR a model for scaffolding excellence in the UK.
Planning and innovation from day one
With a year of planning before arriving on site, GKR designed and engineered a scaffolding package never before seen in the UK. While the client initially proposed conventional tube and fitting scaffolding, our team identified key benefits in adopting Layher’s system scaffold:
• Fewer components handled at height, improving health and safety
• Full tethering of all components to eliminate the risk of falling objects over a live public domain and tube station
• Reduced programme time and increased efficiency
Early engagement was key. Working in partnership with Layher, we developed a bespoke system design and introduced reinforced Layher Protech Panels to withstand high wind loadings as an alternative to traditional sheeting. Video task-analysis mock-ups allowed stakeholders to virtually experience our product and align on methodology, design and programme before construction began.
From a commercial perspective, our value-engineered system scaffold reduced programme time, with Phase 1 delivered well ahead of schedule. We also partnered with Overbury and Tower Hamlets Council’s early careers initiative, employing local labour and opening the site to Build UK Open Doors to showcase careers in construction.
Phase 1 (practical completion achieved):
• Cantilevered system scaffold from Levels 13–20
• Protection fan erected on Level 13 with 68 internal support towers
• 3,178 m of Apollo 750 beams covering 40 cantilevered sections
Phase 2 (in progress):
• Protection fan erected on Level 39 with 76 internal support towers
• Cantilevered scaffold from Levels 40–43
Temporary steels, 14 m long and 350 mm × 935 mm deep, were cantilevered from the middle windows to support Layher HD beams. Each elevation was erected in coordination with the 10 mm deflection limit to protect the building’s structure. A resident Contracts Manager and Health & Safety Manager, alongside four dedicated scaffolding teams, ensured the highest standards of craftsmanship and supervision.
GKR’s ‘High Rise, Low Carbon’ mindset underpinned our work at 25 Canada Square. During the project we achieved Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) validation, becoming the first scaffolding business in Europe to do so. We are already Scope 1 & 2 Net Zero and on track for Scope 3 Net Zero by 2045.
All project deliveries were made using HVO-fuelled lorries, operatives wore recyclable workwear, and excess materials were systematically recycled. Our sustainability practices have been so well received that the project’s Environmental and Sustainability Manager requested GKR’s input to produce a cross-sector industry report benchmarking the upfront carbon performance of Cat B office fit-outs – groundbreaking collaboration for the industry.
Delivering excellence on an iconic building
At 25 Canada Square, heritage sensitivity, complex logistics and advanced safety requirements came together in one project. Through early planning, innovative engineering and a focus on sustainability, GKR Scaffolding delivered temporary works that set a new standard for high-rise refurbishment in the UK.
