Crown Street, also known as Elizabeth Tower, is an ambitious two building development which will form the backbone of an exciting new neighbourhood emerging in Manchester city centre’s south-west.
The two towers, C1 and C2, reach up 70 metres and 160 metres respectively and represent a definitive and significant addition to the Manchester skyline. Sharing a common podium section between them, the two towers will provide 664 homes with a combination of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, townhouses, duplex and triplex options. The development features numerous facilities for residents including a pool, gym and communal sky gardens, along with further amenities around the podium at ground level.
The architectural design vision draws on the rich history of Manchester while simultaneously looking towards the city’s exciting future possibilities. The weathered brick facade texture of the lower level podium echo the storied warehouse buildings and former canal offices of this industrial powerhouse. The towers themselves, meanwhile, utilise a range of materials and approaches across various elevations. From formal geometric grid patterns to more subtle layering effects the materials and finishes also range from glazing to black painted surfaces and purge vent panels.
Bearing all of this in mind, a practical and comprehensive facade access solution would clearly be an indispensable requirement for the building’s continued upkeep, appearance and success.
The challenging brief called for a building maintenance system capable of safely and reliably accessing all facade surfaces while also being providing the functionality of parking in a designated area.
CoxGomyl’s experienced team were able to work closely with the client to advise on the best value solution for the specific access needs of this project and draw on a strong variety of options from track based machines to fixed systems. After detailed consultation we were able to develop a high quality, cost effective solution which offered excellent value for money by utilising an expertly engineered BMU for each tower.
C1 is served by a highly versatile BMU in a fixed position at roof level. The required manoeuvrability is delivered by a telescopic parallelogram jib design in combination with luffing and slewing movements, which provides an outreach of 28 metres. A pre-programmed cycle automatically stops the BMU at two designated points where additional rows of facade restraints allow for the cradle securely to move across the face of the building with a soft rope restraint system. An auxiliary material hoist also provides for glass panel replacement tasks with a capacity of 300kg.
As construction continues, the second BMU will be manufactured to the same high standards and installed on the C2 tower.
