Building work is about to begin on a £50m PFI development at Kings College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London. A new five-storey clinical block is being added to the current hospital buildings in a joint venture between British firm Costain and Swedish developers Skanska.

Owen Williams, consultant structural engineers on the PFI team, anticipate that work for the new block will start this month.

The new building will provide some 20,000 sq. m of medical accommodation, including wards, operating theatres, consulting rooms and administration offices.

Gary Rollison, business sector manager at Owen Williams, said the new building will form a striking addition to the hospital: "With its curved, glazed front elevation it will not only complement the existing building but also be a strong architectural feature in its own right."

The hospital extension is due to be completed by the end of 2002.

Anna Lagerkvist