Salisbury Square:

Blockwork for a New London Landmark

Public SectorLignaciteLignacrete

For more than 30 years, we’ve partnered with Swift Brickwork Contractors to supply blockwork to some of London and the East of England’s most recognisable developments, including Shepperton Studios, Lord’s Cricket Ground, Westfield Stratford, Westfield White City and One Hyde Park.

That longstanding partnership continues at Salisbury Square, a major scheme delivered by Mace, which will become the new home of the City of London Police and a key part of the Square Mile’s justice system.

With its combination of deep basements and a Grade II-listed structure, it’s one of the most technically demanding projects currently underway in the capital.

Key Facts

Location	City of London, London
Sector	Public
Lignacite products used	Lignacite, Lignacrete,
Architect	Eric Parry Architects
Main Contractor	Mace Group
Blockwork Subcontractor	Swift Brickwork Contractors
Builders Merchant	EH Smith (Bovingdon Branch)
Expected completion date	Late 2026

The Project

Sitting just off Fleet Street, the Salisbury Square development is at the heart of major regeneration work in the capital. The scheme forms part of the City of London Corporation’s wider Fleet Street Estate Programme – a significant transformation of the Square Mile’s legal and civic infrastructure.

Designed as a flagship project, Salisbury Square will bring justice and policing functions together on a single, modern site. Once complete, it will house the new City of London Police headquarters, a state-of-the-art legal facility with 18 courtrooms, alongside new civic accommodation and public spaces, all built around a retained Grade II-listed building.

Swift Brickwork’s remit covers approximately 14,000m² of blockwork, including three levels of complex basement construction. The team worked from Stage 4 design onwards, integrating mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) models with blockwork requirements to ensure buildability throughout the basement and superstructure.

The scheme is being delivered as a Net Zero Carbon development, in line with the City of London Corporation’s wider environmental goals. This means material selection, build quality and verified performance have been scrutinised throughout the project.

The site’s location created additional pressure. Surrounded by narrow, winding streets and neighbouring construction work, deliveries had to be booked with precision, coordinated across road closures and adapted as site conditions changed.

The Blockwork Solution

To meet the scheme’s structural and sustainability requirements – as well as the need for high-quality finishes – Swift Brickwork opted to use blocks from our Lignacrete and Lignacite ranges. Where a flawless finish was required in the basements, Lignacite Paint Grade was the natural choice.

Our blocks also offer:

Class A1 fire rating, providing compliance for safety-critical applications.
Strong acoustic performance, ideal for use in urban environments.
High levels of compressive strength that meet the structural demands of deep basements and mixed-use buildings.

The Block

2 products

Lignacrete

Strengths(N/mm²)

7.3

10.4

17.5

22.5

Variants	Midi Concrete Block, Paint Grade Close Textured Dense Block, High Strength Block, Hollow Concrete Block, Lignacrete Standard
Suitable For	Internal Walls, Blocks Below DPC, Blocks Below Ground, Dryline Walls, External Walls, Firebreak Walls, Painted Walls, Plastered Walls, Rendered Walls
Features	Robust, Dense Aggregate Blocks, Dense Concrete Blocks, High Strength, Loadbearing Units, Midi Blocks

Lignacite

Strengths(N/mm²)

3.6

7.3

10.4

Variants	Fair Face Concrete Block, Paint Grade Concrete Blocks
Suitable For	External Walls, Fair Faced Walls, Firebreak Walls, Internal Walls, Painted Walls, Partition Walls
Features	Medium Density Aggregate Blocks, Close Textured, Fair Face, Medium Density Concrete Blocks, Paint Grade

Given the project’s complexity and the requirements of the Building Safety Act, the availability of robust, independently verified technical information was essential. Our detailed product data allowed Swift Brickwork to substantiate specifications directly with the client and design team.

Logistics were a critical part of the solution, too. With our experience delivering into central London – including navigating restricted access routes and tight time windows – our team provided the flexibility Swift Brickwork needed, adjusting schedules and transport types as the build evolved.

The service we received from Lignacite on the Salisbury Square development has been second to none.

The service we received from Lignacite on the Salisbury Square development has been second to none. Having that relationship has allowed us to make changes and organise schedules suited to the build, which has helped us to deliver the project successfully.”

Phil Walsh, Construction Director, Swift Brickwork Contractors

For three decades, we've partnered with Swift Brickwork on some of London’s most significant builds – and Salisbury Square is a fantastic addition.

For three decades, we've partnered with Swift Brickwork on some of London’s most significant builds – and Salisbury Square is a fantastic addition. It’s been a logistical challenge, but by coordinating closely with Swift and EH Smith Builders Merchants in Bovingdon, we’ve successfully overcome every hurdle. Our long-standing relationship with Brett and the on-site team at Swift means we know exactly how each other operates, allowing us to work smoothly and efficiently to deliver another landmark project in the Capital.

Paul Blunderfield, National Sales Manager, Lignacite

Salisbury Square Unpacked

Hear from Phil Walsh, Construction Director at Swift Brickwork Contractors, as he discusses the challenges and complexities of the Salisbury Square project, and how these were successfully overcome through Swift’s close collaboration with Lignacite – a partnership that has been thriving for over three decades.