Among the many challenges posed in the internal reconstruction and refurbishment contract of HSBC’s flagship branch in central Cardiff was that it was a listed building and the branch could only be closed for a thirteen-week period, during most of which time a customer service in the lobby area had to be retained.
The upgrading of the Queen Street branch of HSBC to Premier banking status was always going to be a challenge, balancing the sensitivities of making internal changes whilst adapting the character of this domed-roof structure and integrating it with the needs of twenty-first century banking.
Planning for the changes to the listed building was co-ordinated by HSBC’s Network Development team in London, working with Cardiff architect, HLN who, in turn had to prepare a design and specification that would satisfy CADW, the conservation group in Wales.
It was in the early years of the last century that the than Midland Bank decided on a rationalisation of its central Cardiff branches. This led to opening in 1921 of an entirely new branch at 56, Queen Street, designed by the architects Woolfall and Eccles, who had also been responsible for many of the bank’s branches in Wales and the North-West of England.
It was a grand building, boasting a lofty banking hall with a noted cathedral glass dome, a teak counter and a marble floor. At the time, the local press heralded the branch as ‘the finest and most up-to-date in Wales.
Eighty-six years later, the bank’s successor – HSBC – took the decision to upgrade the branch to Premier Bank status. At the same time, internal changes to the structure would open it up to customers and make better use of available floor space. These refurbishments would have to be made without detriment to the essential character of the branch, which was by now a listed building.
Conceptually, the plan would involve converting the basement – formerly the bank’s strong room and safe – into a business banking area with its own interview rooms. Ground floor level, too, would be opened up, allowing an increase in the number of counselling positions from 13 to 25. The counter would be removed and replaced with a full-length express banking kit.
First floor mezzanine level, which was originally two-sided, would be converted to occupy three sides and used as the branch’s Premier Lounge. Here, the characteristic roof dome and decorative panelling would be cleaned and repainted in empathy with its original design.
Most notable of all was the creation of a new central architectural feature, a new helical stairway - specially designed and manufactured in stainless steel and glass - connecting the three operational levels of the bank. A new general-purpose and disabled lift would be installed for the same reason.
Focus on teamwork
Even a temporary closure of the flagship city centre branch of a bank demands careful planning and effective teamwork from the many parties involved. Mandy Fenton is HSBC’s area project manager for South Wales and was tasked with acting as project manager for the refurbishment, so the branch manager could continue to drive the business during this period.
“The project had a major impact on the service that we could offer because a decision was taken that we would close the Queen Street branch for nine weeks,” she explains. “This was primarily for the health and safety of our customers and staff during what was a major structural refurbishment.
“To enable us to close Queen Street, Murray & Willis were involved with the refurbishment of another branch nearby, in St. Mary’s Street, where we had to provide additional counselling positions and self-service kit to cope with customer demands during the closure. We did retain a lobby service in Queen Street as long as we possibly could and we also provided staff to explain why we were closed and what the alternatives were”, she adds.
Of the many issues along the way, effective teamwork proved to be the most important. “Crucial to that was excellent communications, something that we were able to achieve with Murray & Willis”, continues Mandy Fenton. “They took into consideration the business needs of HSBS and we were able to consider their needs in completing the project to such a tight schedule. If there were any issues, they would be dealt with there and then, to the satisfaction of everybody. Maintaining a close working relationship throughout the project was critical.
“I’ll give you an example of this, in the way their contracts manager and foreman responded to additional requests that we made. While Queen Street was closed for refurbishment, the lobby in the St. Mary’s Street branch became shabby due to increased customer usage. We asked Murray & Willis to redecorate it – something that was outside the scope of the contract, but was a cause of it. This they did”, she explains.
Just one of a number of constraints within which contractors and their suppliers had to work was posed by the problem of limited vehicle access to the site. Queen Street, in the heart of Cardiff, is pedestrianised, with access only available between midnight and 10.00am.
Not only did all materials have to be delivered at unsocial hours, but everything, including sections of the new stainless steel helical staircases, had to enter the building via the front door of the bank.
Refurbishment programme
The whole refurbishment project was completed to schedule within the thirteen-week contract period, with final site work concluding during a further planned four-week period when HSBC staff had moved back into the building. As a contract, not only was it carried out to the tightest of programmes, but it was also unusual in a number of respects. 
The bank’s basement was originally one large strong room, which was not designed to be broken into easily! As Dave Smallman, contracts manager for Murray & Willis explains, “In converting it into new meeting rooms and a waiting area, we had to open up doorways by diamond sawing through two-feet thick reinforced concrete walls. We also had to open up a 3.5 metre square hole in the reinforced strong room roof to accommodate the new staircase and support steelwork. Then, the concrete sections had to be sawn down to a manageable size to get them out of the building,” he adds.
Another challenge came from the special helical stairways, which connect the basement with the ground floor and the mezzanine with the ground floor. Design work for these did not start until work started on site, which resulted in a rush to get them fabricated in time. As Dave Smallman explains, “To achieve the required helical effect, both stairways are of curved stainless steel, with matching curved glass and handrails. By nature of their helical design alone, they were not the easiest of units to handle and get into the building.
“The inside and outside stringers for each part were carried in by ten men and then winched into position. There were problems with the glass, too. The makers were rolling it and forming to the correct template, but the heating and cooling process meant that the elements did not always fit. As a result, the suppliers took three or four attempts to get some of the sections to conform,” he recalls.
To maintain a common and open appearance, a new glass-clad lift was installed, to provide a disabled link between ground and mezzanine levels. A new staircase was also constructed within a former light shaft, giving access to a staff room in the top of the bank and also providing fire escape egress from the building. Construction had to be completed within five weeks, so Murray & Willis prefabricated much of the steelwork off-site to save time.
The only structural alteration permitted at first floor level was the addition of a third side to the mezzanine area, to create a new and enlarged Premier banking lounge. Apart from a new matching glass and stainless steel balustrade, the only other addition was the discreet installation of new power and data points. Refurbishment in this area was completed with cleaning and repainting of the walls, circular windows and cathedral dome roof.
Balancing conflicting priorities
Throughout the contract period, Murray & Willis worked within a number of agreed constraints, of which the thirteen-week time programme was just one. Limited site access was a constant headache. Conformity with the listed building specification had to be maintained and, for nine weeks, the lobby area of the bank remained had to remain available for customer use.
At the time of the closure, HSBC had to remain loyal to their core duties to their customers and handle any customer reaction with sensitivity. This was one of the reasons why staff was maintained on duty within the bank’s lobby area.
In retrospect, how did customers reaction to the branch refurbishment? “Of course, there was a little adverse reaction at the time, but when we re-opened, we did so to a transformation”, recalls Mandy Fenton of HSBC. “It generated a significant amount of positive customer reaction. For example, the roof dome has become far more visible to customers, who regard the building as quite something in Cardiff.
“Our competitors come in and look at us and, well, they’re probably quite jealous of what we’ve got”, she concludes.
