What the two huge towers by East Croydon station actually are
The final pieces have just been installed
The final module of 101 George Street has been installed (Image: Tide Construction and Vision Modular Systems)
If you have passed though Croydon on the train lately and looked towards the east near Boxpark, you might have spotted two huge towers.
Or maybe you have walked past them on George Street or have seen them on the horizon.
You might have raised an eyebrow and the strange-looking way they are being built and what the towers are actually going to be.
Well now we can tell you.
The final piece of the world's tallest modular building has been installed in Croydon, just 35 weeks after construction started.The two towers of 101 George Street, have been seen quickly getting taller and taller over the past few months.
And last week the final module put in place at the building which is now as tall as the London Eye.
At 44-storeys and 135.6m it is the tallest modular apartment tower in the world – followed by the Clement Canopy Towers in Singapore at 130m.
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It is just 35 weeks since the first module of the block was installed by Tide Construction.
That is half the time of a traditional skyscraper, with the 'modules' made at the Vision Modular Systems factory in Bedford before being transported to Croydon.
The project from Henderson Park and Greystar is made up of 546 'build to rent' homes in two towers of 44 and 38-storeys.
The plans were given the green light by Croydon Council back in 2017 and the building is set to be completely ready in May 2020.
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Councillor Paul Scott, Croydon Council's cabinet member for environment, transport and regeneration, said: "With a thriving tech sector and great leisure offers such as Boxpark and Fairfield Halls, Croydon's transformation is ongoing.
"We're delighted to be a global leader in modular housing and are incredibly proud to have supported Tide Construction deliver this record-breaking and award-winning development in under two years."
Homes made in this way can be completed in half the time and arrive on site 95 per cent completed.
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This includes pre-installed kitchens, bathrooms, plumbing and wiring.
After the modules are installed fifty workers work for a week on each of the towers' levels for finishing touches including floor fitting and painting.
Christy Hayes, CEO of Tide Construction, said: "Construction of the towers began in February 2018 after planning consent was gained back in November 2017.
"From there, the 1,526 modules were stacked on top of a concrete podium linking both towers at ground floor level. Once the concrete cores of the two towers were complete, Vision Modular Systems' pre-fitted, pre-plumbed and pre-wired modules began arriving on site
"We successfully installed the last module in just 35 weeks – three weeks ahead of an already tight schedule – after the first was craned into place. As we reach this exciting milestone, already 80 per cent of the glazed terracotta façade has also been completed."
Do you have a Croydon story for us? Email tara.o'connor@reachplc.com