Shackerley stylish welcome at Manchester Arndale

Sureclad ceramic granite rainscreen cladding supplied by Shackerley used extensively during the development of the new Arndale Centre in Manchester.

Sureclad ceramic granite rainscreen cladding supplied by Shackerley has been used extensively during the development of the northern zone of the new Arndale Centre in Manchester, helping to protect the exterior facing retail outlets from the elements and create a stylish, contemporary and welcoming appearance.

In collaboration with architects Chapman Taylor, Dane Architectural Systems installed buff coloured ceramic granite slabs with an unpolished finish to provide 'picture frames' for the parade of stores overlooking the busy High Street and to create a dramatic new entrance into what has now become the UK's largest 'in-town' shopping centre.

To provide visual continuity for shoppers entering the complex, which boasts 1.4 million sq ft of retail space and over 200 stores, cafes and restaurants, Shackerley's neutral coloured large format ceramic granite panels have also been used in the interior of the entrance area as column cladding and soffits.

Dane Architectural Systems technical director Goff Monaghan said that the 30mm thick ceramic granite was specified for its durability and suitability for busy pedestrian areas and its ability to withstand accidental knocks and scrapes and vandalism.

He said: "It's also an excellent, and technically superior, alternative to natural stone".

"In this particular instance, the colour and finish have been selected because of the visual resemblance to Portland stone".

"It's an attractive and versatile building material which has a very natural look, especially in the unpolished finish selected".

"However, as we've found on other projects the real beauty of working with ceramic granite is that you are dealing with an engineered product which has a known technical performance and a degree of consistency that no naturally quarried material can offer".

Now fully open, following a total of GBP170million of investment, Manchester Arndale expects to attract between 35 and 40 million visitors a year.

The redevelopment of the centre is the final piece in the Millennium Masterplan formulated by Manchester City Council for the regeneration of the city following the 1996 IRA bomb attack.

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