ISG has secured its latest project under a framework partnership with Manchester City Council – a £270K fast track refurbishment scheme at Urbis, Manchester’s exhibition centre of city life. The landmark structure in central Manchester attracts thousands of visitors every year who come to explore urban culture and city life within this award winning Millennium building.

Work has commenced on remodelling the second floor at Urbis to deliver more flexible open plan exhibition space, creating the fourth and final temporary exhibition space in Urbis, which will also be the largest. ISG is carrying out internal demolition work to remove a number of structures on this level and then installing a new raised access floor and upgrading existing electrical services. ISG will also replace an internal water storage tank located in the basement as part of this project.

The refurbishment programme provides Urbis with greater flexibility to stage a comprehensive range of exhibitions within this space and provides significant gains in overall floor capacity. Gary Hughes, regional construction director at ISG Totty Building, commented: “Working across a live site, with limited access and a reduced construction programme does present a range of challenges for the team at Urbis. Adopting a flexible working approach is essential, both to limit the impact we have on customers visiting the building and their enjoyment on their visit, and for one tenant housed there, regional TV broadcaster, Channel M. We are working closely with the station to ensure broadcasts are uninterrupted by our presence on site.”

Urbis Chief Executive, Vaughan Allen, added: “This is the final piece in the jigsaw of our redevelopment, which will enable us to become an exhibition centre with five floors of completely refreshable content, giving our customers more reasons to come back to find out what’s on. I would also like to say a big thank you to our customers who have beared with us so patiently whilst this work has been going on.”

The construction work is scheduled to be completed by early October, after which Urbis will be the venue for a grand scale prestigious fashion event, Fashion Weekend Manchester (4 - 7 October 2007), which will take place across all 5 floors of the building.

Email: nick.hann@isgplc.com