The Construction Programme
Bovis North, the Manchester-based division of P&O subsidiary Bovis LendLease, was appointed in October 1995 as management contractor responsible for bringing the project to fruition. Work commenced on site in spring 1996, following some essential enabling works. Bovis was chosen for its track record of handling large complex retail projects of this type, among other criteria.
Bovis’ contract involved the appointment and management of specialist sub-contractors and suppliers who contributed to the prestigious development. Individual tenants let further contracts for the fitting out of their premises as the project approached completion.
Under the terms of a Construction Charter agreed between the contractor, the developer, the local authority and other interested parties, Bovis endeavored to recruit all of the 3,000 construction workers from the local area.
The Trafford Centre Construction Facts
The Trafford Centre took two-and-a-half years to build, is designed to last more than 150 years and contains:
- More than 148,000 sq.m. of shopping and leisure space
- 19,500 tonnes of steel
- Two million facing bricks
- 1,100 tons of concrete reinforcing
- 21,356 sq.m. of granite flooring
- 10,136 km of electrical wiring
- A 35-megawatt electricity supply – equivalent to a small town
- 19 passenger lifts – at any one moment 350 visitors could be travelling by lift
- 23 goods lifts
- 19 escalators (excluding those within stores) which can move in excess of 10,000 persons per hour
- Largest ever all-hydraulic lift installation
Consultants to The Trafford Centre during construction
Conceptual Architect: Chapman Taylor & Partners of London
Responsibility for Implementation: Leach, Rhodes, Walker of Manchester (Architects)
Construction Contractor: Bovis LendLease
Structural Engineer: Mott McDonald
Traffic Consultant: RPS plc
Quantity Surveyor: Deacon & Jones of Bolton
Off-Site Highway Engineering: Trafford Borough Council Engineering Consultancy
Restaurant Design Consultants: Building a Theme Company of Altrincham
Catering Consultants: Coverpoint Catering Consultancy
M & E Consultants: WSP Consulting Engineers
Landscape Architect: Derek Lovejoy & Partners
Security Consultants: Stirling Security Limited
Letting Agents: Healey & Baker of London
Letting Solicitors: Berwin Leighton of London
Appointment Solicitors: Addleshaw Booth & Co
Funders: Lloyds, Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland