The UK subsidiary of Far East Global Group has been awarded the contract to a central London office overlooking St. Paul’s Cathedral. The complex job involves partial refurbishment of an existing building and a curved unitized façade to the front of the building.
World top five-ranked cladding contractor Far East Global Group has won its first project in the UK to clad a central London office for Bouygues, at 71 Queen Victoria Street, overlooking St. Paul’s Cathedral.
It is the second Chinese cladding business to have secured work in the city. Fellow Chinese specialist Yuanda is presently supplying the curtain walling for British Land’s Cheesgrater tower.
Although a smaller package, Far East Facade’s job is complex, as it involves partial refurbishment of an existing building and a curved unitized façade to the front of the building.
Subsidiary Far East Facade (UK) is run by managing director Peter Walker who said Far East Facade was already bidding on a project in Hull and had several high profile building projects in London, Manchester and Northumberland in its sights.
“That indicates there is serious demand for competition to European suppliers.”
Far East has worked with Balfour Beatty on international jobs and has talked to Sir Robert McAlpine and Laing O’Rourke.
He added: “We haven’t got a list of projects here yet, but I am gathering together a team of high-calibre professionals with strong track records to show we are serious.”
His team includes Darren Clare, a former senior project manager at Permasteelisa, and a senior figure from installation specialist Clearline.
Far East Global started out in Hong Kong in 1969 and has grown rapidly to rank among the top five global cladding players, after buying major supplier Gamma in North America.
Far East specializes in high-rise unitized curtain walling jobs but Walker said the firm will also take on smaller projects utilizing its low cost base to build a long term presence in this country.
The fast-growing group employs over 1,000 staff and is renowned for work on super tall buildings after cladding the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifi.
It is currently working on the Foster Associates designed Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong and hopes to build on these ties.
Walker said: “The Burj Khalifi was a 120,000 sq.m. curtain wall job and we delivered first panels to site five months from the date of taking the order.
“Far East Global has huge capability and is looking to the UK and Europe as a new market, after building a big presence in south east Asia, and expanding into the Middle East North and South America.”
Walker added: “The North American markets are particularly buoyant for the group at the moment and we have just secured our first project in Australia.”