Morgan Sindall celebrated the approaching completion of the £23 million Art & Design Faculty building at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) with a traditional topping out ceremony.

The project is due to be handed over at the end of the year and will provide a brand new base for the Manchester School of Art which offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate art, design, media and architectural courses.

The ceremony, marked the overall completion of the building's reinforced concrete superstructure, including the insertion of the floors and erection of the walls, columns and the roof slab and was attended by representatives from Morgan Sindall and the university.

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Jim Morgan, Morgan Sindall area director for Manchester, said: "Our team has been delighted to be part of this hugely significant project for the university. This innovative, striking building will provide a stimulating learning environment for creative students and will boast teaching space, new workshops, a roof garden and an impressive seven storey gallery.

"We have enjoyed a positive, collaborative relationship with the Manchester Metropolitan team and we are delighted to be able to celebrate this significant milestone for the project as it progresses towards completion.’"

To make way for the state of the art project, a 1970s building on the corner of Cavendish Street and Higher Chatham Street in the inner-city district of Chorlton was demolished. The adjoining Chatham Tower has been retained and is in the process of being refurbished and connected to the new adjacent seven-storey gallery.

The old Chatham Tower structure is being clad in black anodised rainscreen horizontal panels with new ribbon windows to each floor.

This contrasts with the vertical nature of the curtain walling and rainscreen cladding on the new building. When finished, the external appearance will be a striking monochrome building.

(CD/GK)