Roof replacement and plant works
The scheme covers 16,000 sq m of roofing at Sky’s headquarters, according to the Construction Enquirer. The work will also involve reinstating associated plant, making the scope wider than replacement of the roof alone.
The existing roof contains 472 prefabricated wooden skylight cassettes carried on glue-laminated timber beams. The Construction Enquirer describes it as Europe’s largest flat timber roof and reports that the scale of replacement presents an engineering challenge.
The building and the damage
Sky Central cost £220m and was completed in 2016. It accommodates more than 3,500 staff and combines office space with studios and production facilities. The roof forms part of that original building.
Mace carried out the original construction project between 2014 and 2016. During that work, rain entered the timber cassettes and remained trapped inside them. The retained water caused the wood to swell and decay, with deterioration continuing over time.
Insurance ruling and remediation timetable
The insurance proceedings involved Sky, Mace and a group of insurers. In December 2024, the Court of Appeal ruled that the insurers’ liability extended to foreseeable deterioration arising from damage that began within the insured construction period. The decision therefore addressed responsibility for damage developing beyond the initial water penetration.
According to the Construction Enquirer, Sky and Mace subsequently agreed in February to settle the £138m insurance claim. Earlier court documents had anticipated that remediation would continue until 2029. That timetable came from the court papers rather than a newly announced construction programme.