NIBuilder 33-6 Dec-Jan

PROJECT

BANGOR COURTHOUSE

was discovered. This was retained and restored, much to the pleasure of the client. Within the amended floor plan layout, a lift was installed. A fully fitted kitchen was installed to service the venue’s ‘pop up’ restaurant. Internally it was painted in bold period colours, chosen by the client. “We had to salvage as much of the original fixtures and fittings as possible, which were removed, labelled and stored safely until second fixing,” said Leo. “For example, the original cornices were restored to their original form.” A single storey extension was built to accommodate toilets to service the rear courtyard area. It was constructed in masonry cavity wall construction, rendered externally with a standing seam zinc roof. Leo added, “The cutting out for the openings to create the toilets was a task on its own, as this portion of the building was reinforced back in its courthouse days to create holding cells and the walls were around half a metre

thick with concrete and engineered brick toothed together.” Commenting on the completed project, Leo said, “We are delighted to handover Bangor Courthouse to Open House Festival. This project demonstrates just how well our team collaborated with the client and their design team to deliver first class service and end results.” Speaking for Open House Festival, Kieran Gilmore commented, “This was a very specialised and high-profile project, with a great deal of interest from local communities and from across the arts and heritage sectors, as well as from our funders and stakeholders. “Our design team and the main contractor worked together to restore this beautiful Victorian listed building, saving it from the At Risk Register and transforming it into a dedicated music and arts venue. “The Court House is an iconic building in Bangor, and has charted the town’s (now city’s!) changing fortunes for more

than 150 years, from Bangor’s heyday as a Victorian seaside resort, to its decline in recent years. Following this restoration, the building is helping to transform Bangor seafront. It is now leading the way in what we hope will be its economic and cultural renaissance with arts-led regeneration at the fore.” Client: Open House Festival Main Contractor: Leo Matheson Ltd Architect: Knox & Markwell M&E Consultants: Stephen Clarke Consulting Ltd Structural Engineer: BW Murray Mechanical Contractor: Hinds Heating and Plumbing PROJECT TEAM...

Electrical Contractor: WKK

32 Main Street, Castlewellan, Co Down, BT31 9DG T: +44 (0)28 4377 1900 - E: contracts85@leomatheson.com www.leomatheson.com

www.northernbuilder.co.uk

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