Piccadilly refurb
Curtain walling from Kawneer was specified for its aesthetics and cost effectiveness for the last building in the 10-year mixed use redevelopment of Manchester’s landmark Piccadilly Place.
The orientation of the Grade A speculative office building at 4 Piccadilly Place allowed for maximum glazing to the east and north facades and this was achieved on a total of three elevations with Kawneer’s AA100 curtain wall system.
Kevin Fraser of Hodder + Partners architects and designers said: “We wanted to achieve a certain aesthetic due to the large expanse of curtain wall. We felt depth and shadows were important so the facade would not appear too flat.
“The Kawneer product allows us to specify a projecting cap. The contractor had the task of sourcing a glazing supplier in order to remain in budget. Costs versus aesthetic was a major consideration of this project.”
The £21million project comprising 110,000ft² of office space on seven floors and 10,000ft² of retail units on the ground floor, is one of five buildings totalling 675,000ft² on the formerly derelict site owned by Manchester City Council and the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive.
Hodder + Partners, who won a competition to design 4 Piccadilly Place, had to respond to a brief from developer argent estates to achieve an excellent BREEAM rating and this was achieved with Kawneer’s AA601 casement windows on the staircases and 190 heavy duty commercial entrance doors on the ground floor.
The Kawneer systems were installed over six months by approved specialist contractor SG Aluminium for main contractor Carillion. Construction took just 16 months.
Hodder + Partners are regular specifiers of Kawneer systems. Kevin Fraser added: “The Kawneer systems allowed us to achieve the required daylighting levels while also achieving the desired aesthetic set as part of the planning conditions.
“The other cladding material is pre-cast concrete panels with a honed finish. The colour of the spandrel and curtain wall frame has been selected to complement the hue of the aggregate within the concrete panels.”
