VIDEO | Construction timelapse of The Edge in Whitehaven
Main contractor Thomas Armstrong is set to complete work on the £4.7m coastal activities centre in West Cumbria next summer.
Video footage shows the progress that has been made on The Edge, which sits along Whitehaven’s historic harbour. The steel frame is now complete, with the next stage of construction focused on weatherproofing the building and adding its copper-coloured zinc cladding.
The timelapse video is by Sellafield, while the drone footage is by Drone It Whitehaven. Photography featured in the Place North West video is by Kate Wright Digital.
Designed by Ian Grice of Northmill Associates, The Edge is meant to evoke thoughts of pebbles washed onto the beach from the sea. The 14,000 sq ft building is three storeys and is set to have an events space, public toilets, café, recreational facilities, and space for overnight accommodation.
Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners are overseeing the project, which is funded by Sellafield and The Coastal Communities Fund.
Northmill Associates designed The Edge for Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners. Credit: via Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners
John Baker, chief executive of Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners, said it was exciting to see the building take shape.
“Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners’ mission is to ensure the harbour is somewhere local people can really be proud of,” Baker said. “We also want it to act as a beacon for tourism and improve the lives of the people who live here.
He continued: “Having a vision is one thing, it’s quite another to see it come to life. I commend everyone that has been involved in this project so far and helped make it happen.
“I look forward to seeing The Edge continue to take shape in the next phase of the construction process.”
Ryan Robertson, contracts manager for Thomas Armstrong, noted that the project has faced some difficulties.
“This is certainly a project that has had its fair share of challenges, both in terms of unknown remnants and services discovered in the ground, causing us some initial redesign works,” Robertson said.
“This, coupled with overcoming the ongoing global supply chain challenges for materials and frequent high winds, has caused us some issues,” he continued.
“But we’re out of the ground now and, if the weather lets us, we’ll be able to start showing some real progress.
“It’s a real privilege for us as a local company to work on something that we know will make such a difference to the town and people’s lives and we can’t wait to continue into the next stage.”
The development team for The Edge includes Paul Crooks of Crux Associates as project manager and Stephen Jackson of Baker Mallett as QS.
A closer look at what The Edge will look like when finished. Credit: via Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners
