Precision performance on Piccadilly

When a project carries the Ferrari badge, the expectation is high-octane performance and unwavering passion. Partnering with the renowned international contractors Sice Previt, we knew this operation had to be nothing short of exceptional.

The Challenge

The logistical hurdles were immense. The cargo consisted of four bespoke, curved structural steel staircase sections – irregular in shape, up to 8 metres in length, and weighing 6 tonnes a piece. Our task was to thread these massive elements through a historic shop window aperture with barely a millimetre to spare.

Time was also against us. Contacted just before Christmas, we were working with a compressed schedule while the stairs were still being handcrafted in Italy. In fact, we didn’t get eyes on the units at our depot until the afternoon of the first scheduled delivery date.

The Environment

The site itself – the highly anticipated new Ferrari flagship on London’s busy Piccadilly – offered zero room for error. We were operating amidst full lane closures in a high-traffic area, flanked by sensitive neighbours like Cartier and DeBeers. The pavement required extensive preparation to handle the outrigger loads, necessitating close collaboration with structural engineers to design specific mitigation plates.

The Strategy

Recognising the risks, our Appointed Person and lift team refused to leave anything to chance. Following critical site visits, we made the decision to stage a full dress rehearsal. We completely recreated the street scene at our own facility, including the shop window aperture and street furniture. We even constructed a full-scale wire-frame replica of the most difficult load section.

This allowed our operators to test the geometry and refine the lift procedure down to the inch, ensuring every truck and piece of equipment was perfectly positioned before we ever arrived on Piccadilly.

The Execution

The preparation paid off. Over five consecutive nights, starting at 22:00 each day, we successfully delivered and lifted each section, handing them over through the tight void to the Italian internal lift team for installation. Despite the language barrier, the operation was a masterclass in collaboration – delivered on time, on budget, and incident-free.

Pierluigi Bardi, retail project manager and store designer at Sice Previt, said: “The whole Sice team thanks Southdown for the great support you’ve given us [on this project],”

“Your team has been super collaborative and very helpful in all the structural maneuvers. Hope to collaborate in the UK in the future.”

We wish our Italian partners the best as they finish the London site and head to New York for their next adventure.

Photos care of Ryan Russel and Wayne McKinder.