Media City phase one tops out
Peel Media this week marked the completion of the highest point of phase one of Media City UK in Salford Quays.
Guests of Peel and Bovis Lend Lease, main contractor on the build, gathered on the 19th floor of the 300ft Studio Block South Tower to see Kevin Gosney, assistant construction manager, pictured, turn a spanner on the final nut and bolt of the building's steelwork.
Bovis Lend Lease started work on site in 2007 and has spent 6.5m man hours on the build – there are currently 2,000 people on site – with workers using more than 85,000 cubic metres of concrete, and nearly 9,000 tonnes of structural steel.
Peel Media is investing around £500m in phase one of Media City UK, which covers more than 36 acres of land alongside the Manchester Ship Canal. When it opens for business in 2011 the site will be home to one of Europe's biggest HD TV studios, along with a waterfront piazza capable of accommodating up to 9,000 people.
The BBC is moving around 2,500 staff to MediaCityUK, including five departments currently based in London. The University of Salford will also have a significant presence on site, with a campus for up to 700 students and staff.
The first phase opens in 2011.
