Core Five marks topping out of 19-storey Paddington over-station office scheme

Cost consultant Core Five has marked the topping out of Delta Paddington OSD, the 19-storey office development being built above Paddington Station for a joint venture between Helical and Places for London.

Core Five said it attended the topping-out ceremony on Wednesday. The firm is providing cost consultancy on the scheme on behalf of Helical and Places for London.

The consultant described the building as commercial workspace with an all-electric approach, and said it would continue working with the wider project team as the development moves towards its next milestones.

The scheme

According to Places for London, the building sits above the eastern entrance to Paddington Station, with a canal-side entrance. Core Five's project page places the site at the junction of Bishop's Bridge Road and the Grand Union Canal. The architect is Grimshaw.

Places for London said the scheme comprises 15 floors of office space and ground-floor retail, with each typical office floor spanning about 15,500 sq ft and having its own south-facing terrace.

Sources differ on the total floor area. Places for London and law firm BCLP both put it at 235,000 sq ft. Helical, in a trading update, described it as a 240,000 sq ft development.

Core Five's project page sets out the structural challenge of the site: the design uses an expressed transfer structure and long-span structural solutions to bridge over the rail station. The project team worked closely with Transport for London (TfL) to manage design development, logistics and construction interfaces with Paddington Station, the firm said.

Core Five said its early cost advice supported design choices and helped the team arrive at value-led solutions.

Funding and programme

BCLP said it advised institutional investors as lenders on the £220m development financing of the scheme. The law firm said main works would start in Q2 2026, with practical completion targeted for Q3 2028.

Places for London's project page had said construction was expected to begin in early 2026. In April 2026, Core Five reported that Mace had been appointed to the main works contract.

Matthew Bonning-Snook, Chief Executive of Helical, said in the company's trading update that the business had progressed the scheme "having acquired, financed and signed the main construction contract at our 240,000 sq ft development at Paddington, W2".

Sustainability targets

The building is all-electric and targets BREEAM Outstanding, NABERS 5.5 Star and WELL Core Platinum accreditation, according to Core Five's project page. BCLP said the scheme had achieved BREEAM Outstanding at design stage with a score of 97.4%.

In April 2026, Core Five described the building as all-electric and highly sustainable.

BCLP has given a practical completion target of Q3 2028 for the scheme.