IN Brief:
- Staticus has been appointed to deliver the façade package for Vista South Bank in London.
- The scope covers around 35,600 sq m of façade, including the company’s largest closed-cavity façade package to date.
- The project underlines growing demand for high-performance envelope systems on major commercial redevelopment schemes.
Staticus has been appointed to deliver the façade package for Vista South Bank, the major redevelopment of the former ITV Studios site in London.
The package covers around 35,600 sq m of façade across the commercial-led scheme, which is being developed by Mitsubishi Estate London and CO—RE. Multiplex is delivering the main build, Make Architects is leading the design, and Arup is acting as façade consultant.
Staticus said the project will include the largest closed-cavity façade package it has delivered to date. More than half of the façade area will use closed-cavity technology, supported by additional systems including soffits, balconies, balustrades, doors, and stick façade elements.
Production is expected to begin in 2027, with installation following later that year and façade completion targeted in 2028. The wider Vista development is scheduled for completion towards the end of the decade, bringing a substantial new commercial scheme to a prominent South Bank site.
The façade appointment follows the start of main construction on Vista, with Multiplex already leading delivery of the wider development. The scheme includes a 25-storey tower, 14-storey and six-storey buildings, a six-storey podium, office space, retail, landscaped public squares, active ground-floor uses, and a public rooftop restaurant.
On a project of this scale, the building envelope is one of the most technically demanding packages. Façade systems must support the architectural identity of the scheme while meeting requirements for thermal performance, solar control, air tightness, acoustics, maintenance access, embodied carbon, and long-term durability.
Closed-cavity façade systems are increasingly being used on high-performance commercial buildings because they can protect internal components, such as blinds, from weathering, dust, and moisture. They can also help deliver more consistent environmental performance across the building’s life, provided that manufacturing quality, installation tolerances, and maintenance planning are closely controlled.
Vista’s sustainability targets add further weight to the envelope strategy. The development has been positioned as an all-electric and fossil fuel-free scheme targeting net zero operation, BREEAM Outstanding, and WELL Platinum. Those ambitions place the façade at the centre of the building’s energy and comfort performance rather than leaving it as a visual outer layer.
Specialist façade contractors are becoming more influential in major commercial redevelopment because so much performance risk is concentrated in the envelope. Early engagement, offsite production, logistics planning, and close coordination with structure and services are all essential where sites are constrained, buildings are tall, and delivery programmes are tight.
For London developers, the façade is also carrying more commercial responsibility. Occupiers expect better comfort, lower operating energy, stronger ESG credentials, and buildings that remain attractive over a long letting cycle. Vista’s envelope package will therefore be central to both the technical performance and market positioning of the completed scheme.
