BMA House is more than just the headquarters of the British Medical Association. It’s a prestigious venue for everything from business conferences to product launches and weddings, and home to around another 200 organisations. A Grade II listed red brick building of neoclassical Palladian style, it was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Our wide-ranging experience in restoration and refurbishment of listed and historically valuable buildings was vital to winning the contract to upgrade and revive the interior of BMA House. Central to the BMA’s vision was a change in public perception: from old-fashioned, traditional club to a more contemporary and vibrant organisation. So our refurbishment needed to retain, restore and respect the unique character and heritage of BMA House while creating an internal environment to rival modern buildings for function, workplace efficiency and technology. Our work involved refurbishing various state rooms and function facilities, and the development of five new event spaces – all in a live environment.

The centre piece of Lutyens’ original design was the Great Hall, and the restoration recognises the room’s importance. With the details painstakingly restored, it has also been modernised to become a 300seat conference and function hall with new stage area and an innovative automated retractable seating system – the first of its kind in the UK – allowing enormous flexibility in use. The result is an airy, light and refreshing ambience which successfully couples a century of heritage with the facilities to meet the diverse demands of its users.

In recognition of the quality of workmanship and the way the project was run, we received a gold medal in the restoration category of the Construction Manager of the Year Awards held by the Chartered Institute of Building.

“ THIS DEVELOPMENT PROVIDES US WITH A TOP-CLASS SET OF FACILITIES FOR THE USE OF OUR MEMBERS AND FOR THE MANY ORGANISATIONS WHICH HIRE OUR SPACE TO HOLD CONFERENCES AND FUNCTIONS. ”

DR DAVID PICKERSGILL
BMA