Suffolk-based specialist joinery company TMJ Interiors has celebrated the successful completion of a major project forming part of business information giant Bloomberg’s new European headquarters in the City on London.
The £1bn building, in Queen Victoria Street, between the Bank of England and St Paul’s Cathedral, was designed by Lord (Norman) Foster’s firm Foster + Partners, with construction led by main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd.
TMJ, which is based at Bildeston, between Hadleigh and Stowmarket, was appointed in 2016 to work on an auditorium and an associated a pre-function gathering space, and a timber lobby “vortex” weighing more than 160 tonnes – the largest free-standing structure the company has ever installed.
The vortex, made up of 5,621 panels of American Red Oak and more than 500,000 screws, was designed as a literal and metaphorical “twist” on the classic timber-panelled lobbies that define many of London’s buildings.
And the 240-seat auditorium located within the heart of building, is said to be one of the most technologically advanced facilities of its kind in London.
James Taylor, managing director of TMJ, said: “It was an honour to work on such a prestigious and challenging project in the heart of London. We thoroughly enjoyed the journey and working with Sir Robert McAlpine and Foster + Partners.”
He added: “The business is going from strength to strength, growing both the team and their capacity. The definition of specialist, bespoke joinery is evolving and TMJ are proud to be at the forefront of this.”
TMJ, which was established in 1981, is widely recognised as one of the UK’s premier specialist joinery contractors, manufacturers and installers, having carried out major projects in the commercial, residential and specialist sectors.
These have included work on the restoration of the Private Chapel and a Stuart-era staircase at Windsor Castle following the fire in 1992, the fan vaulted ceiling of the tower at St Edmundsbury Cathedral and panelling for the refurbishment of the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden.
The Bloomberg HQ brings together the company’s 4,000 London employees in a single complex, wihich consists of two blocks connected by bridging links.
The development has also included the creation of a new dining hub, the Bloomberg Arcade, and the relocation, to its original site, of a Roman temple which was excavated and moved elswhere in the 1950s.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here