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26 June 2017 | Firm News | Article by Matthew Tossell

First look from the top of Two Central Square


We are one step closer to moving into our new office headquarters at Two Central Square, following a topping out ceremony which took place on Thursday 22 June.

The event marked a significant milestone in the construction where concrete was laid at the highest point of the 135,000 sq ft building which is on track to be completed by Autumn 2018.

We will occupy 100,000 sq ft of office space in the nine-storey building which will also be home to Cardiff University’s Journalism School, JOMEC.

Matthew Tossell, senior partner, said:

“Our move to Two Central Square is much anticipated and will support the firm’s continued growth ambitions. Being in the heart of such a significant development in Cardiff city centre feels absolutely right for us and reflects our position as a well-established, and growing, business here in Wales.

With construction work well underway we can now start to see the building really take shape. We are very much looking forward to moving in next year.”

The topping out ceremony saw 20 guests including Hugh James staff and partners; Ken Poole, head of economic development at Cardiff Council; Stuart Kotchie from Harmsen Tilney Shane; Paul McCarthy from Rightacres and the project team at the project’s main contractors, ISG.

Two Central Square has been designed by world leading architectural firm Foster + Partners who also designed the masterplan for the development. It will be one floor taller than One Central Square office scheme, which is now fully let.

Groundworks at Two Central Square were completed in January and the steel structure of the building is nearing completion. The first panes of glass will be fitted this week, with the entire glazed façade of the building completed by Easter. Internal fit out will begin in August.

Key facts

  • The central core of Two Central Square is made up of 800m³ of concrete with 50m being laid in just five weeks
  • The building is made up of more than 1,200 tonnes of steel, 17,000mof metal decking and 2650m³ concrete floor slabs and 6,500 sq m of glazing

Author bio

Matthew Tossell is currently the most senior partner in Hugh James. Having had varied responsibilities and holding several senior management positions throughout his career, he is currently responsible for a number of major partnership projects.

Disclaimer: The information on the Hugh James website is for general information only and reflects the position at the date of publication. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be treated as such. If you would like to ensure the commentary reflects current legislation, case law or best practice, please contact the blog author.

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