Project Name: Nomura Bank
Client: Nomura Bank
Principal Contractor: ISg Plc
Architect: TTSP Package
Value: circa £440k
Location: London EC1
Duration: 4 months

Description of Work Undertaken

Phoenix Interiors has scooped the gold award for the best ceiling of the year, in the over £100,000 value class, at the "Association of Interior Specialists" (AIS) awards 2008.

The judges lavished praise on the company's work at the prestigious London headquarters of Japanese investment bank Nomura. They said it was "probably the best ceiling installation ever seen in the awards" adding that it was "simply outstanding". One of the AIS judges was legendary ceilings specialist Bob Hodges, who said the Phoenix installation was "perfect" demonstrating a "consistency of finish of the very highest quality throughout".

The barrel vault ceiling featured in Nomura's building at St Martin-le-Grand close to St Paul's Cathedral in central London provides a high class finish to the global finance company's ambitious re-fit of its listed former post office home. Designers had to work within the constraints of the listed façade while also providing a highly modern feel to this fast moving working environment. The interior makes clever use of intelligent lighting systems to subtly change the mood in the occupied space and the ceiling had to perform to very high sound attenuation standards.

"We are delighted with the finished product and very proud of what our design and installation teams have delivered for us," said Tony Bartle, head of facilities management at Nomura. "Phoenix thoroughly deserves its award and I look forward to working with them again in the future."

"ISG drove the project very hard to meet the tight brief, but Phoenix seemed able to come up with a solution no matter what was thrown at them," said ttsp's Malcolm Cook.