QAH, PORTSMOUTH – MAIN ENTRANCE NEARING COMPLETION

Steelwork erection is well underway on Noviniti’s new main entrance at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.

MAW Consulting is providing both Employer’s Agent and Quantity Surveyor services on this £6.27 million development. The project involves building two new hospital entrances, each including retail space.

Stepnell Limited serves as the Principal Contractor. Construction began on 15 May 2023 with the Main Entrance—the first of the two to be built.

The Main and North Entrances will be delivered in sequence over a 75-week period. Both structures will be traditionally built, steel-framed, and two storeys high, supported by piled foundations. The external cladding will complement the existing hospital architecture.

The new Main Entrance includes a glazed walkway, with an M&S Food and Stock Shop at ground level. The first floor will house a lecture theatre and toilet facilities. The North Entrance will feature a Costa Coffee shop and reception desk on the ground floor. The upper floor will be built to a “developer’s shell” standard, allowing the Hospital Trust to fit it out later.

The project team must overcome several complex challenges. Works include phased remodelling of existing hospital spaces to keep services running. The new Main Entrance sits near critical live data cables that require full protection. Meanwhile, the existing reception must remain open, with access maintained through a protected temporary route. The North Entrance is next to the LINAC facility in the hospital’s basement—a highly vibration-sensitive area that must stay fully operational.