At an Architecture Today event at the Schüco showroom in London, architects, engineers and façade specialists behind two major projects – 76 Southbank and Belfast Grand Central Station – discussed what successful collaboration looks like when delivering large, complex buildings in demanding urban contexts.

What does effective collaboration look like when projects grow in scale, complexity and public visibility? How do teams maintain architectural ambition while responding to regulatory, structural and environmental constraints? These were the questions explored at Collaborative practice: Delivering landmark projects, held at the Schüco showroom in London on 11 February 2026, where multidisciplinary teams presented two recent schemes shaped by intensive coordination and technical problem-solving.

The evening opened with remarks from Architecture Today editor Isabel Allen, who framed the discussion around the tension between technical demands and design intent on major projects, before Dan Gleeson of Schüco outlined the company’s growing focus on refurbishment, façade remediation and low-carbon aluminium systems as part of wider industry moves towards extending the life of existing buildings.

Stefan Rust from Allford Hall Monaghan Morris presenting 76 Southbank.

76 Southbank – Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

The first presentation, delivered by Stefan Rust of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) with input from project partners, examined the transformation of 76 Southbank, the former IBM headquarters designed by Sir Denys Lasdun and completed in 1983.

Rust traced the building’s historical context, describing how the South Bank evolved from an industrial landscape of wharves and timber yards into a cultural quarter shaped by post-war development, including the National Theatre and Southbank Centre. The IBM building formed part of this later phase but suffered from poor environmental performance, limited public engagement and office layouts that no longer met contemporary expectations.

AHMM’s brief was to refurbish and extend the structure, increasing floor area by around 50 per cent while retaining the original concrete frame and characteristic precast façade panels. The project introduced a new street-level entrance, extended floorplates and an additional storey, alongside significant improvements in daylighting, accessibility and environmental performance.

Much of the presentation focused on the technical challenges of working with an existing structure. Surveys carried out after strip-out revealed differential settlement across the 140-metre-long building, requiring careful coordination of façade tolerances and structural interventions. Testing also showed that existing concrete and foundations performed better than expected, allowing engineers to reduce strengthening works and avoid unnecessary carbon expenditure.

The façade renewal was another major area of collaboration. Original glazing systems could not accommodate modern double-glazed units, requiring a new curtain wall designed to align with precast panels while accommodating structural movement. Ultra-low-carbon aluminium profiles were used for the first time in the UK on this project, contributing significant embodied-carbon savings compared with conventional systems.

Rust also highlighted the importance of reuse and material continuity. Precast panels were carefully removed, repaired and reinstalled, while new panels were fabricated using granite from the original quarry to maintain visual consistency. Internally, exposed concrete and reclaimed materials were paired with timber finishes to soften the building’s character and create contemporary office space.

The completed scheme demonstrates how a listed Brutalist building can be adapted for contemporary use while retaining its architectural identity and improving environmental performance.

Arup’s Simon Brimble discussing the security demands of the project brief.

Belfast Grand Central Station – John McAslan + Partners, Arup and Williaam Cox

The second case study shifted from refurbishment to infrastructure, with Colin Bennie of John McAslan + Partners presenting Belfast Grand Central Station, supported by Simon Brimble of Arup and Brendan Barrett of façade specialist Williaam Cox.

Bennie outlined the long gestation of the project, which began with a competition win in 2014 and culminated in the delivery of a multimodal transport hub designed to accommodate up to 20 million passengers annually by 2040. The scheme replaces an overcrowded and constrained station and forms part of a wider strategy to regenerate the surrounding district.

The architectural concept draws on Belfast’s industrial heritage, particularly the light-filled mills that once lined the city’s rivers. A large, step-free concourse sits between rail and bus facilities, with extensive glazing providing intuitive wayfinding by allowing passengers to see destinations before entering the building. Oversized sawtooth rooflights bring daylight deep into the interior, reinforcing the sense of openness.

Security and structural requirements were central to the engineering approach. Brimble described how the design incorporated blast mitigation and secure-by-design principles from the earliest stages, requiring close collaboration with security stakeholders and operators. Despite the extensive glazing, blast-engineered façade systems were developed to meet safety requirements while preserving the architectural intent.

Barrett provided a detailed account of the façade engineering, illustrating the complexity behind apparently simple forms. A single curtain-wall elevation measuring 147 metres in length required accommodation of significant thermal movement, bespoke structural solutions around large door openings, and integrated drainage systems within visually minimal profiles. Some individual glass panels weighed more than 600 kilograms, demanding precise structural coordination and installation strategies.

For the project team, the ultimate measure of success lay in the building’s civic impact. Bennie noted that infrastructure projects of this scale can reshape cities, acting as catalysts for development and social change, while Barrett observed that the engineering effort is largely invisible to users, who experience the building simply as a bright, welcoming public space.

The intricacies of the façade build-up outlined by Brendan Barrett of Williaam Cox.