The Cardigan Street multi-storey car park is a key element of the whole Birmingham Eastside redevelopment and is situated on the north side of Millennium Point, between Cardigan Street and Jennens Road. With a capacity of 975 cars, the new car park will serve the needs of Millennium Point, the new Eastside Lock area and the proposed VerTiPlex200 vertical theme park.
Berry Systems won seven of the cladding packages put out to tender by main contractor Thomas Vale, relating to the supply and installation of the exterior envelope and the vehicle safety barriers on the internal ramps. Following the original schematic design by Hill Cannon UK and Urban Design, and working closely with Thomas Vale and sister company to Berry Systems, Ash and Lacy, Berry was able to supply and install over 1900m² of a customised version of AshTech™ rainscreen cladding.
It was produced in a 3D geometric layout incorporating a number of blue acrylic ‘lightpod’ sections. These not only provide a colour contrast with the silver anodised cladding but also allow interior light from the car park to create a stunning effect from the external view to make the car park a landmark feature of this part of the Birmingham skyline. The main external cladding was completed by the use of expanded metal aluminium screen on the ground floor and Kingspan KS1000FL architectural wall system to part of two elevations. In addition standard Ash-Tech rainscreen cladding together with glazed curtain walling is being installed to the two stair core towers servicing the car park.
Because of limited space at Eastside, the main bespoke 3D cladding framework complete with panels were prefabricated off site and supplied pre-assembled ready to be fitted to the main structural steelwork frame
Installation commenced in October 2010 and, despite a delay due to the snow and extremely cold weather in December, was completed on time before the end of January 2011.
The Eastside car park demonstrated the many advantages of Berry Systems being appointed early in the project as they were able to use their extensive knowledge of the perimeter requirements of car parks to advise the designers and main contractors and ensure that the final cladding solution achieved the architects’ design and performance objectives whilst utilising the most efficient production and installation methods.
Thomas Vale Construction is due to complete the £10.1million project by April 2011.
