Embassy contracts go PFI

A number of new build and refurbishment contracts on British Embassies and High Commissions are to go out under the PFI route.

The pick of the crop is the œ15 million Berlin Embassy. The project was to have been publicly financed, architect Michael Wilford & Partners won a competition in 1995 to design the project.

Four other embassies or British High Commission schemes have also been advertised in the EU Journal. A 1,300m2 office building is required in Colombo, Sri Lanka; a 1,600m2 building in Sofia, Bulgaria; a 1,200m2 office in Kiev, Ukraine; and 2,000m2 of office accommodation, plus at least six separate staff residential accommodation units in Lagos, Nigeria.

Private consortia are being asked to design, realise, construct, finance and equip the embassies. The contract period is likely to run for a period of 20 years. Proposals may involve redeveloping existing sites or finding and developing new ones.

Other embassy projects are: Moscow, Beirut, Bogota, Bratislava, Dar es Salaam Hanoi and Quito.