Sir Robert McAlpine
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd. is a private British company headquartered in London. It carries out engineering and construction for the oil and gas, petrochemical, power generation, nuclear, pharmaceutical, defence, chemical, water and mining industries.
, who was known as "Concrete Bob". In 1935, Sir Robert's son Alfred established a separate construction company, Alfred McAlpine plc
, that operated in the north west of England while Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd. operated in the rest of the United Kingdom.
The company constructed the Dorchester Hotel
on Park Lane in London. When the client was unable to pay for the construction works, the company took possession of the completed building and operated it on its own account.
From the 1930s onwards, the company employed large numbers of Irish
who had come to England looking for work. The harsh working conditions with which McAlpine's management treated their labourers has gone down in Irish
emigrant folklore. The song "McAlpine's Fusiliers" (written by Dominic Behan
and made famous by The Dubliners) described the realities of life on the building site for many expatriates.
In 2003, Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd. sued Alfred McAlpine plc over the use of the family name and won. The dispute centred around Alfred McAlpine's intention to trade under the name "McAlpine". There was previously a long standing agreement within the McAlpine family not to make such a change but, following the death of Alfred McAlpine, the board of Alfred McAlpine sought to make the change in any event. The effect of the judgment was to prevent Alfred McAlpine trading under the name "McAlpine". In 2008, Alfred McAlpine plc was acquired by Carillion and dismantled, thus making the "name war" irrelevant.
It has offices in Hemel Hempstead, London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The plant section is based in Kettering.
completed in 1901, the Maine Road
Stadium completed in 1923, the original Wembley Stadium completed in 1924, the Dorchester Hotel
in London
completed in 1931, the St Enoch Centre
completed in 1989, the Millennium Dome
in Greenwich
completed in 1999 which the company also redeveloped to The O2
, the Millennium Bridge
in London
completed in 2000, the ExCeL Exhibition Centre
completed in 2000, the Eden Project
in St Austell
completed in 2001, the Bullring
in Birmingham
completed in 2003, the Emirates Stadium
completed in 2006 and the White River Place development in St Austell
town centre completed in 2009.
In July 2007, they signed a memorandum of understanding
with the Olympic Delivery Authority
(ODA) for the construction of the £630m Olympic Stadium
for London 2012
.
History
The company was founded in 1869 by Sir Robert McAlpineSir Robert McAlpine, 1st Baronet
Sir Robert McAlpine, 1st Baronet , known as "Concrete Bob", founded the British construction firm now known as Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd....
, who was known as "Concrete Bob". In 1935, Sir Robert's son Alfred established a separate construction company, Alfred McAlpine plc
Alfred McAlpine
Alfred McAlpine plc was a British construction firm headquartered in London. It was a major road builder, and constructed over 10% of Britain's motorways, including the M6 Toll...
, that operated in the north west of England while Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd. operated in the rest of the United Kingdom.
The company constructed the Dorchester Hotel
Dorchester Hotel
The Dorchester is a luxury hotel in London, opened on 18 April 1931. It is situated on Park Lane in Mayfair, overlooking Hyde Park.The Dorchester was created by the famous builder Sir Robert McAlpine and the managing director of Gordon Hotels Ltd, Sir Frances Towle, who shared a vision of creating...
on Park Lane in London. When the client was unable to pay for the construction works, the company took possession of the completed building and operated it on its own account.
From the 1930s onwards, the company employed large numbers of Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
who had come to England looking for work. The harsh working conditions with which McAlpine's management treated their labourers has gone down in Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
emigrant folklore. The song "McAlpine's Fusiliers" (written by Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan
Dominic Behan was an Irish songwriter, short story writer, novelist and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also a committed socialist and Irish Republican...
and made famous by The Dubliners) described the realities of life on the building site for many expatriates.
In 2003, Sir Robert McAlpine Ltd. sued Alfred McAlpine plc over the use of the family name and won. The dispute centred around Alfred McAlpine's intention to trade under the name "McAlpine". There was previously a long standing agreement within the McAlpine family not to make such a change but, following the death of Alfred McAlpine, the board of Alfred McAlpine sought to make the change in any event. The effect of the judgment was to prevent Alfred McAlpine trading under the name "McAlpine". In 2008, Alfred McAlpine plc was acquired by Carillion and dismantled, thus making the "name war" irrelevant.
Structure
The company is organised on a regional basis.It has offices in Hemel Hempstead, London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Edinburgh and Glasgow. The plant section is based in Kettering.
Major projects
Projects undertaken by the company have included the Glenfinnan ViaductGlenfinnan Viaduct
Glenfinnan Viaduct is a railway viaduct on the West Highland Line in Glenfinnan, Lochaber, Highland, Scotland. It was built between 1897 and 1901...
completed in 1901, the Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
Stadium completed in 1923, the original Wembley Stadium completed in 1924, the Dorchester Hotel
Dorchester Hotel
The Dorchester is a luxury hotel in London, opened on 18 April 1931. It is situated on Park Lane in Mayfair, overlooking Hyde Park.The Dorchester was created by the famous builder Sir Robert McAlpine and the managing director of Gordon Hotels Ltd, Sir Frances Towle, who shared a vision of creating...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
completed in 1931, the St Enoch Centre
St Enoch Centre
The St. Enoch Centre is a shopping mall located in the central area of Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The Architects were the GMW Architects. The construction, undertaken by Sir Robert McAlpine, began in 1986, and the building was opened to the public in May 1989...
completed in 1989, the Millennium Dome
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
in Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
completed in 1999 which the company also redeveloped to The O2
The O2 (London)
The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
, the Millennium Bridge
Millennium Bridge (London)
The Millennium Bridge, officially known as the London Millennium Footbridge, is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames in London, England, linking Bankside with the City. It is located between Southwark Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
completed in 2000, the ExCeL Exhibition Centre
ExCeL Exhibition Centre
ExCeL London is an exhibitions and conference centre in the London Borough of Newham, England. It is located on a site on the northern quay of the Royal Victoria Dock in London Docklands, between Canary Wharf and London City Airport.- History :The centre was built by Sir Robert McAlpine, opened...
completed in 2000, the Eden Project
Eden Project
The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world....
in St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
completed in 2001, the Bullring
Bullring, Birmingham
The Bull Ring is a major commercial area of Birmingham, England. It has been an important feature of Birmingham since the Middle Ages, when its market was first held...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
completed in 2003, the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
completed in 2006 and the White River Place development in St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
town centre completed in 2009.
In July 2007, they signed a memorandum of understanding
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
with the Olympic Delivery Authority
Olympic Delivery Authority
The Olympic Delivery Authority is the statutory corporation responsible for ensuring delivery of venues, infrastructure and legacy for the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in London...
(ODA) for the construction of the £630m Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (London)
The London Olympic Stadium will be the centrepiece of the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. The stadium is located at Marshgate Lane in Stratford in the Lower Lea Valley and has capacity for the Games of approximately 80,000 making it temporarily the third largest stadium in Britain behind...
for London 2012
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
.