Steelwork nearing completion for major Sky facility

Requiring 6,500t of structural steelwork, Severfield is close to completing its steel erection programme at Sky Studios Elstree.

The site covers an area greater than 17 football pitches, adjacent to the A1(M) just north of London. There are nine main buildings in total, eight stage and production structures, and a multi-storey car park.

Structural steelwork is playing a pivotal role in the project as all of the buildings are steel-framed, with Severfield fabricating, supplying and erecting the entire portfolio with the exception of the car park.

Steelwork was chosen as the framing solution because of its ability to create flexible column-free spaces with spans of up to 54m-long. Steel also falls into line with the project’s sustainability ethos, whereby all of the sourced materials are low carbon.

Sky has a commitment to become Net-Zero Carbon by 2030, and it is expected that Sky Studios Elstree will become one of the most sustainable film and TV production site’s in the world.

As part of design process, the businesses have actively looked at all sustainable development opportunities, with the project using reduced embodied carbon in construction. It is also expected that the facility will have the capability to generate 20% of its own energy on site through solar generation, while no gas or fossil fuels will be used to power day-to-day operations.

Forming the majority of the structures, 92 steel trusses, weighing up to 13t, have been erected.