Local firm named on St Peter’s extension
HH Smith has been appointed as main contractor for the £4.2m extension and refurbishment of the Hallé’s rehearsal and performance space at St Peter’s in Ancoats.
As project manager, Mace handled the procurement process and appointment, and agreed contracts with the Whitefield-based contractor last week.
The build programme is expected to last 15 months and will eventually see an extension comprising 12,000 sq ft added to the 1859-built, now deconsecrated church. Procurement was started in August last year.
Stephenson Studio won the design competition for the redevelopment project in February 2016 and secured planning consent in October that year for a design that includes a new entrance onto Cutting Room Square, a café, and smaller rooms at ground and basement level, with the principal performance space being housed above in a copper box with finned, riveted panels.
Works will include new lift and M&E installations, specialist theatre installations and acoustic-rated products, curtain walling, structural glazing, steel frame construction, cladding and external drainage.
Unbelievable that this has been given planning permission – the church is beautiful and this extension is an utter eyesore which will completely block out the church from the square. The principle building which makes it a pretty and pleasant open public space. Disgraceful – especially as the church has already been blocked out from all other directions by the equally awful new flats going up.
Could you imagine if someone tried to do this to an Italian church sitting on a public piazza!
By Ancoats