Thomasons was appointed as structural engineers for the conversion and restoration of this Grade ll listed Venetian Gothic building into a bar, restaurant and boutique hotel.
The building, designed by Manchester architect Thomas Worthington in 1864, occupies a prominent city centre location in Albert Square, close to Manchester Town Hall.
Thomasons carried out a structural assessment of the existing building and designed strengthening works to suit the proposed layout.
The structural works included inserting a new steelwork and timber third floor within the existing double height second floor space, for fit out as a hotel, and creating a new steelwork plant deck over the existing roof to support mechanical and electrical equipment for the building.
In recognition of the building’s national importance, Thomasons adopted a philosophy of minimum intervention and reversibility allowing the existing structure to be retained almost exactly as it was prior to the works being carried out.
Our engineers visited the site every week during the works in order to be proactive in overcoming the many challenges faced when working within this historic building.
The project was the outright winner of the Best Medium Project category in the Institution of Structural Engineers North West Structural Awards 2013.
“The Memorial Hall is architecturally one of the most important buildings of its type, according to English Heritage. It had lain derelict for a decade and it was very important to me to restore the building and bring it back to life. The magnificent new space created by Thomasons is testament to their engineering skill and the project took less than six months, from demolition to completion; I am delighted with the result.”
Roger Ward, building owner and managing director Victorian Chop House Company
