Works Contract - The National Archives

The National Archives is undertaking a Public Space Programme, redeveloping the public spaces of Q1, its 1977 brutalist concrete archive building in Kew, London. The works being tendered will create a new event space and learning room within the existing first floor open plan reading rooms and a refurbished welcome area and bookshop on the existing ground floor. The new event space and learning room are to be acoustically separated from the surrounding space with minimum Rw 50dB glazed and solid partitions. The existing ceiling is to be removed and existing services diverted and extended to expose the original concrete coffered ceiling. Both spaces will require a displacement air conditioning system, new AV, lighting and power. Structural demolition works comprise a new opening through an existing reinforced concrete wall and the removal of 2 non-loadbearing reinforced concrete walls. New 1 hour fire rated glazing and an automatic double door are to replace an existing non-loadbearing partition and doors. A new platform lift will serve the rear rake of the event space. The raked platform is of timber construction. Existing floor finishes are to be replaced. On the ground floor existing enclosing partitions in the area of the bookshop will be removed. Services will be redirected and the existing suspended ceiling will be partially replaced. The existing floor finish is to be replaced. Existing joinery is to be re-sprayed and new bespoke joinery installed. Works will include replacing and redirecting existing pyro cables. The works are within the public areas of the National Archives. The building is open to the public 9am-5pm, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 9am-7pm Tuesday and Thursday. The building must remain operational throughout the works. Noisy work will be carried out outside of public opening hours. The current allocated budget for the works is £780,000 (including VAT). The National Archives will shortlist a maximum of 5 potential suppliers to be invited to tender, subsequent to the evaluation of Pre-Qualification Questionnaires received. The deadline for submission of Pre-Qualification Questionnaires is 5pm on September 9th. The National Archives intends to issue the invitation to tender to shortlisted potential suppliers on September 23rd, with responses due by October 14th. The expected contract period is from the end of October, 2016 to the end of February, 2017.