Famous London landmark gets big lift from Hird

The super heavy lift project took place at Grade II-listed 385-ft-high Centre Point in the heart of London’s West End, one of the most famous high-rise towers in the capital.

Glazing installers were building the glass entrance to Centre Point which is undergoing a dramatic transformation – turning it from an office block into stunning luxury homes and innovative retail space.

Hird was the first crane hire company in the world to place an order for the Maeda MC815 spider crane, Maeda’s largest mini crane to date, which has a maximum lifting capacity of 8 tonnes.

The Kappel 3500 is one of the UK’s largest super-heavy vacuum lifters, with a maximum lifting capacity of 3.5 tonnes.

The structural glass panels, each measuring approximately six metres by four metres, were being installed as part of the programme to renovate and change the use of Centre Point.

Hird Director John Wilding said: “Using the Kappel 3500 vacuum lifter and a spider crane like the Maeda MC815 was the only way such large and heavy pieces of glass could be lifted into place.

“The weight of large panels in landmark buildings like Centre Point has risen rapidly in recent years, not least because thicker glass is being specified to counter terrorist threats.

“On top of that, architects are now designing more buildings where the glass itself provides structural strength, again increasing weight. We have prepared for this by making available for hire the most comprehensive range of heavy vacuum lifters in the UK.”