The building contractor behind the Raffles hotel and The Ned is on the brink of collapse, casting doubt on the future of several construction projects across London.
Ardmore Group’s businesses, including its construction and major projects arms, have filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators.
The move, revealed in court documents, has left nine active projects in the capital in limbo, ranging from luxury hospitality schemes in the West End to residential towers in east London.
Work was halted on those sites on Thursday morning, according to industry publication Construction Enquirer.
The notice of intention to appoint administration was reportedly filed after missed payments to staff and subcontractors.
The largest of Ardmore’s stalled projects is a £500m scheme with laboratories and housing in King’s Cross, known as Tribeca.
It had also been working on high-end hotels in Mayfair and Kensington, flats at Earl’s Court and Hackney Wick, and offices at Chancery Lane.
Founded in Catford in 1974 by Irish brothers Cormac and Patrick Byrne, Ardmore is known for its role in building some of London’s best-known hospitality schemes.
These include Raffles London, in which Ardmore transformed the historic Old War Office building on Whitehall, near Buckingham Palace, into a luxury five-star hotel.
The building, originally completed in 1906, once served as the headquarters for prominent figures including Winston Churchill during World War II.
It also delivered The Ned, the lavish hotel and members’ club created at Edwin “Ned” Lutyens’ former Midland Bank headquarters in the City.
As part of the project, it converted a sprawling banking hall into several restaurants while restoring its green verdite marble columns, original 1920s walnut banking counters and period chandeliers.
One of the building’s most distinctive features, the original bank vault, was turned into a bar and lounge where more than 3,000 restored safety deposit boxes line the walls.
