Client:
Siemens
Contractor:
PP O'Connor Ltd
Project details:
Since its construction in the late 1980s Sir William Siemens House has stood as a landmark building at the southern gateway to Manchester, on Princess Road, the main route into the centre from the city’s airport. Its clean lines, with squares of white cladding and glazing, contrast sharply with the red-brick terraces that predominate the streetscape of south Manchester. Set in expansive grounds, the building is laid out as geometrical perimeter blocks around an internal courtyard that staff use to take time out, eat lunch and even for informal meetings, Manchester weather permitting. The original courtyard paving visually reinforced the gridlines of the building and extended to the apron around the exterior, as a rare example of integrated architectural and landscape design from its era.
A recent requirement for reconfiguration of the car parking offered the opportunity to re-model some of the external spaces and to upgrade the original paving, which after nearly 30 years had understandably deteriorated. The large in-situ concrete slab formations have been replaced with smaller unit blocks in a variety of pale grey hues that complement the white façade of the building. Exterior seating outside of the courtyard space has been introduced, and we are delighted that our RailRoad Inline product was selected for this high profile scheme. With its clean square lines, the ‘Edge’ version perfectly complements the architectural language of the site. Five benches have been used at Sir William Siemens House, aligned on the building gridlines, providing office workers and visitors to the site the opportunity to rest for a moment before or after going into the building. Steelwork on the seats is in a galvanised finish that will dull to a soft grey colour over time, with untreated iroko hardwood slats that will weather to a silver-grey patina.
Visit the Furnitubes International website for more information on Sir William Siemens House, Didsbury, Manchester