THE new £40 million town centre headquarters of insurance giant Zurich reached a major milestone - and the Adver got to tag along for a tour.

After donning hard hats and high-viz jackets, the company’s bosses and staff joined construction team Skanska and town politicians for a peek inside the 100,000sq ft six-storey structure standing tall above Fleming Way.

Some floors were still mostly bare while others had some of the framework which would soon become offices, break rooms and other facilities.

Swindon landmarks could be seen in every direction from the rooftop, including the County Ground, Christ Church, the David Murray John Tower, Jurys Inn, the old Debenhams building and the train station.

Zurich's UK CEO Tim Bailey signed a support beam while looking down on the atrium which will give a glimpse into every floor of the building. Mr Bailey estimates that contracting services and around 300 staff from businesses around the town for this project added £8 million into the local economy,

He added: “It's a special day for us as a longstanding employer in the town. Hopefully this will encourage more businesses to come to the town centre."

 

The pandemic caused a few hurdles which the team managed to overcome and a rise in remote working is not expected to leave the office block partly empty.

Zurich UK chief operating officer John Keppel added: “Covid affected construction nowhere near as much as we might have thought. We started a few weeks prior and we had a few short weeks due to supply issues downstream but it's been managed extremely well.

"We are looking to occupy the whole building but we are working out what the uptake is. The building was designed to be flexible in the way we use the space."

Sustainability and eco-friendliness is a big part of the Unity Place business base, with a pledge to be free of paper and single-use plastic, hopes to secure a BREEAM rating of Excellent, and allocated electric car parking, cycle access routes and renewably-supplied energy.

 

Coun David Renard thinks Zurich’s focus on going green will pair well with the revamped Fleming Way bus boulevard, which aims to encourage more people to use public transport.

He added: “I really enjoyed the tour and the building looks to match or exceed the designs we saw many months ago.

“It’s going to be wonderful when it’s finished, a great place to work and act as a catalyst for more investment in the town centre - good times are ahead

.”

The first meeting about the new HQ was held three years ago, almost to the day . Now that the highest point has been ‘topped out’ , work will continue on setting up the interiors before the business’ workforce move in next June.

It will then be sold to the council at a cost of nearly £40 million and the authority will lease it back to Zurich to earn rental income.

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson added: "I'm very proud to be here to celebrate this significant landmark. We have had unprecedented challenges over the last two years and today signifies a real huge vote of confidence in the Swindon economy. Zurich's faith in Swindon is greatly appreciated."

Skanska operations director Charlie Norris said: “From the beginning Zurich has had high standards for their new workplace and I’m proud we have forged a strong relationship so we can fully understand their needs and meet their expectations.

“By involving our experts experienced in every phase of the project – from specialist piling, through to construction and the mechanical and electrical fit-out, we’ve been able to develop solutions at every stage tailored around their ambition for a future-proof HQ that will offer a high-quality space for their teams to be happy, healthy and productive.

!When finished, Unity Place will set the standard for sustainable buildings in Swindon.”