MEC Hall

MEC Hall
Manchester
[ 310 ]

accomplishment 2018–2019
investor The University of Manchester
architect Mecanoo
type of construction unitised façade
type of building public
project volume of the facade 20–40 mil €

The University of Manchester has embarked on a ten-year plan to create a world-class, single campus for its students, staff and visitors. The first phase of this visionary masterplan includes the Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD). A key feature is the eight-storey MEC Hall, which will provide interactive learning environments, flexible labs, aerospace and flight simulators, and bespoke project areas with cutting-edge technologies. Its external envelope will be supplied by Sipral.

MEC Hall

“The University of Manchester’s Engineering Campus Development (MECD) will be a landmark that celebrates engineering within the world’s first modern city. Once complete, it will be the new home to the University’s four engineering schools and two research institutes from the Faculty of Science and Engineering,” states the Mecanoo architects, whose design, “integrating architecture, interior and landscape”, aims to deliver an inspiring, highly flexible first-class teaching and research environment that transforms the way in which the University educates future engineers.

MEC Hall

 

MEC Hall is one of the key features of Balfour Beatty’s £287 million contract for the Manchester Engineering Campus Development. Sipral will supply its complete external envelope. The façade’s clean structure with several terraces and recesses will consist of glazed and opaque unitised panels and will be divided by vertical aluminium fins and feature boxes.

 

“We are very pleased to be working with Balfour Beatty again, on such an exceptional public project. This follows on from our collaboration in 2015 on the exceptional external envelope of The Diamond at the University of Sheffield,” says Radim Koštial, Sipral CEO, and continues: “We will start the 17 months on site installation work in July 2018.”