While Archant East London & Essex continue to work in temporary accommodation opposite their old offices, their new £2m base is slowly taking shape.

The new publishing centre's main shell is now complete, with construction taking place in front of the newspaper's staff as they work.

The new building will be completed next spring and until then the 126 staff who work on the Recorder and Herald series of weekly newspapers are working from premises opposite the building site.

The main staircase, encased in the glass walls, is the latest part of the project, but workers and visitors to the papers already have a good idea of what it will look like when it's finished, because a rolling video of an artist's impression of the new building is on display in the reception areas.

The idea was to build a centre fit for 21st century publishing.

The new HQ will have two floors with an open plan reception area and will incorporate full modern-day facilities, bringing Archant East London & Essex in line with the latest health and safety directives.

These include a lift, a climate controlled environment and full disabled access. There will be conference facilities catering for up to 50 guests. The building is scheduled for completion in the summer.

Publishing director Paul Gregory said: "The vision of the future is now turning to reality with the creation of a distinctive and impressive looking media centre that will be a credit to Archant and will soon establish itself as a modern local landmark in the community."

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