Wimbledon's All England Club sue over building work

WIMBLEDON bosses have launched a £4.6million legal claim against the architects behind the All England Club's "defective" Millennium Building.

A High Court writ claims the building is riddled with leaks and that three-quarters of the windows suffer from condensation and misting.

Built on the site of the former number one court, it houses the players' and members' facilities as well as the media centre for print journalists and photographers.

The W-shaped structure, which opened with a fanfare in 2000, also includes a gym, new changing rooms, a private players' lawn and lavish, open-air restaurants.

It is alleged that problems started to develop soon after the building was finished in May 2000 after two years' work.

The writ claims untreated Iroko timber has warped and twisted, and suffers from water staining and algae.

Daylight is visible through gaps in the walls and the building is not watertight or airtight, with rain leaking through doors and windows, the writ says.

The club is demanding damages from architects and designers Building Design Partnership and sub-contractors FB Ellmer for their work on the building.

A spokesman for the All England Club said: "As legal proceedings are under way it would be inappropriate to comment."

Building Design Partnership and FB Ellmer declined to comment.