Going retro at the docks

A residential refurbishment of the 1920s Dock Office in Salford Quays has included a two-storey steel framed structure at roof level, incorporating Technal MX Toggle curtain walling, fabricated by Quest Solutions (UK), to all sides to achieve panoramic views across the city.

Technal’s FY65 windows were also specified, in-keeping with the original art-deco design.

Originally built as offices and a bank by Harry Fairhurst and Son in 1927, the building sits within an area of Salford in Greater Manchester that has been undergoing drastic redevelopment since the 1980s. The re-development by Liveman Properties has converted the Dock Office into a mixture of one, two and three bedroom apartments, with an additional 14 new duplex apartments constructed on the existing building roof.

DV Architects Billy Hodge said: “The Dock Office is a local heritage asset and great care has been taken to make sure that the character of the building is not altered. Two additional storeys have been added to the height, stepped back from the main facade and designed to have a flush surface with no projecting framing.

“We wanted the design to be clean and modern so that it contrasts with the older façade, appearing as a simple dark box on top of the crisp white building below.”

Technal’s MX Toggle curtain walling allows for the creation of a flush glass facade, which, in addition, can be either concave or convex. The double-glazed units are fixed to the transom and mullion profiles through a specially designed, thermally broken toggle to allow quick and easy installation.