Laing O’Rourke has erected two massive proscenium trusses weighing 125t each and has now erected the steel frame, stairways and lift shaft at Manchester’s new cultural landmark, The Factory.
Laing O’Rourke has been on site since June 2018 for the construction of the £110m venue, which will host a year-round cultural programme and is expected to welcome up to 850,000 visitors a year.
The proscenium trusses are part of the 1,600-capacity auditorium and were designed by structural engineer Buro Happold and constructed by Bury-based William Hare.
The auditorium forms part of the major new complex that will also include a 5,000-capacity space and is designed by international architectural practice Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) to be one of the most flexible buildings of its kind.
Tom Higgins, director at Laing O’Rourke, said: "Reaching and celebrating significant construction milestones – such as installation of the proscenium truss gives the team time to pause and appreciate the great progress being made in constructing The Factory. We are extremely proud to be leading in the delivery of this state-of-the-art performing arts venue in the heart of Manchester.”
Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, added: "The Factory is a state-of-the-art, high-quality, multi-functional building, incomparable in nature to any other currently being constructed in the UK.
"It’s fantastic to see the progress that has been made on site with the basic structure very much now visible.”
