MARKET PLACE SHOPPING CENTRE, BOLTON
The Market Place Shopping Centre, located in the heart of Bolton’s busy town centre, has recently undergone a major transformation by the addition of a new 9-screen cinema complex extension on the roof of the existing building and the internal re-structuring of the central feature Atrium.
The shopping centre was originally construction in the 1890’s utilising a cast iron framework and further extended in the 1980’s by the introduction of additional shopping facilities and an on-site multi-storey car park.
The concept for the new centre redevelopment, created by Wren Architects, was to provide further restaurants, bars and cafes in the refurbished basement area, the enhancement of the central feature Atrium and the addition of a 250- tonne steel-framed cinema roof extension.
Shipley Structures were selected to undertake the design, manufacture and site installation of the following key steel frame elements on the project:
250-tonne roof extension which provided the external envelope for the new cinema complex, along with the internal seating framework and plant / maintenance walkways.
Feature ‘space-frame’ roof structure at the head of the central Atrium, incorporating ‘T’ section top chords and a suspended circular tie rod bracing system, to replicate the original roof details on the adjacent cast-iron framework.
The internal strengthening of the existing 4-storey steel frame structure, in order to receive the new upper roof extension.
The re-structuring of the central Atrium area, which included the provision of a fully-welded 21-metre high exposed ‘feature’ steel liftshaft, infill link bridges and the creation of new escalator / floor openings.
The creation of structural ‘movement joint’ breaks between the new and existing structures
