Ceremony marks major milestone for landmark Reading office block
A traditional topping out ceremony has taken place at One Station Hill
Last updated 19th Sep 2023
A topping out ceremony marking the completion of construction has taken place at a landmark office development in central Reading.
One Station Hill is being built opposite Reading station on a site that has been waiting for re-development for more than a decade.
It'll be ready for occupying early next year.
Developers Lincoln Property are promising:
625,000 sq ft of workspace
90,000 sq ft of retail, leisure and F&B space
2 acres of curated public realm
1,300 residential units
200 bed hotel
500 car parking space
Today a ceremonial 'shovelling' of the last concrete took place in front of an invited audience on the 15th floor of the skyscraper, along with a 'demand' from the construction team leader for a pint of ale, and the attaching of a tree branch said to make peace with displaced tree dwelling spirits!
Hector McAlpine, executive partner at Sir Robert McAlpine Construction said:
“I’d like to recognise the entire team for their hard work and invaluable contributions.”
He also thanked the men and women working on One Station Hill itself, calling it an “iconic, high-profile building.”
The Station Hill project is being managed by Lincoln Property Company, which once complete will be made up of 1,300 apartments, 625,000 square metres of offices and a new public area.
Alex Aitchison, Lincoln Property Company UK Managing Director, said:
“We welcomed our first 60 residents living in the residential apartments on Friar Street.
“Shortly, by the end of the year, that will be fully delivered with a bridge link over to this space, with two acres of public realm activated for the wider community.
“It’s very rare that we get to stand here and champion such a fantastic, game-changing development for Reading, for the Thames Valley.”
Councillor Tony Page, the Mayor of Reading, said:
“We are now in a situation where inward investment into Reading, will I believe, continue apace.
“25-30 years ago for every one person that came into Reading two went up to London, now it’s reversed.
“People are travelling to Reading for work purposes, perhaps not five days a week but still in larger numbers, and that process will continue, as Reading becomes the rightful capital of the Thames Valley.
“The only thing we’ve been denied by the government over the years, still a frustrating subject to me and my colleagues, is long overdue city status, and we will not give up that desire.”
For more details of One Station Hill click here