James and Taylor facade contract for MediaCityUK

Cladding specialists James and Taylor win major contract for the facade on the multi-storey car park for MediaCityUK, home of the BBC's new production base at Salford Quays, Greater Manchester.

James and Taylor will engineer and supply 4,000m2 of Eyetech mesh cladding and 2,750m2 of Senses Aluminium Cladding in different shades of bronze for the 11-deck eco-friendly car park, which will be built to BREEAM 'excellence' standard.

Designed by architects Chapman Taylor LLP, it will form part of the first phase of MediaCityUK, due for completion in 2011.

Eyetech is a cutting-edge facade material that is taking the international architectural world by storm.

James and Taylor engineered the Eyetech facade for the new New York Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened to critical acclaim last December.

The company also designed the Eyetech facades for the Young Vic Theatre (RIBA London building of the year 2007) and the Stephen Lawrence Centre in south east London.

Eyetech was first conceived as a car park cladding material.

It is ideal for multi-storeys, providing natural ventilation and enhancing security as well as providing a visually substantial surface.

Paul Graham, Associate Director at Chapman Taylor LLP said: "The design achieves the required ventilation rates through the parking decks (using a 70% open mesh) while presenting an animated and innovative facade to the principal elevations.

The high quality in design and detailing enables the mesh to act as pedestrian guarding on each level of the car park.

The mesh will achieve visual order, but allow movement and structure to be subtly expressed beyond, instigating a sense of curiosity.

"We commissioned the Senses Aluminium after lengthy research - it provides the aesthetic and high quality finish that's needed to complement other buildings on the site.

We have selected a combination of three bronze coloured panels, which will be configured in a random pattern to provide a striking elevation to each end of the building".

James and Taylor's Senses Aluminium has already won top honours in the Power of Aluminium Awards 2008 for the innovative finish on Manchester University's Michael Smith Building.

Andrew Barstow, Northern Regional Manager for James and Taylor said: "This is a highly prestigious project and we are delighted to be involved in Phase 1.

There's no doubt the Salford complex will be a rival to other media cities emerging around the world.

This Eyetech order follows on from the success of the New York Museum, and is a hugely important contract for James and Taylor.

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