CO—RE

CO-RE director has spent a career on projects in the heart of London, and so he dreams of the City spot where he’ll celebrate the end of the pandemic …

Why did you choose construction as a career?

I have wanted to be a developer ever since I witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony in the 1980s at Broadgate in the City, attended by the then prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who was at the controls of a JCB digger!

What are you most proud of in your career to date?

Acquiring the site of the Gherkin at 30 St Mary Axe for Swiss Re and playing a part in its subsequent development. It was particularly challenging because it involved the removal of the listed but bomb-damaged Baltic Exchange building.

The brainchild of Swiss Re’s COO Sheree Whatley, whose board decided to proceed with construction in 2001 just after the 9/11 tragedy, it was the tallest building to be built in the City for over 30 years.

What has been your biggest career challenge to date?

Putting together the 340,000ft² pre-let at CO-RE’s redevelopment of 10 Fenchurch Avenue for M&G. The site had a ransom strip running through the middle of it, rights of light issues and involved an archaeological dig.

The new Eric Parry-designed building has a stunning landscaped roof garden that the public can visit for free, with views of the surrounding tower cluster and the River Thames. There is also a great restaurant below, where I intend to celebrate the end of the pandemic.

What is the most helpful advice that you have been given?

If you are going to do something, ensure that you do it to the absolute best of your ability.

Read the full interview here