Stone Panels, Inc. completed a recladding project in the UK for the Merrion Centre, an 800,000 square foot shopping centre that includes a mix of retail, dining, offices and a nightclub.
The Merrion Centre’s renovation included the recladding of the Merrion House office block and retail units on Woodhouse Lane with StoneLite® panels. Occupants of the refurbished units include Sainsbury’s and Wilkinson. Since the building has been open since 1964, it was in dire need of a fresh look, especially because of the growing market and competition in Leeds.
The Merrion Centre was originally an open air development without a roof. It had a cinema, petrol station, ballroom and about 100 other shops. A roof was added in 1975 but according to Edward Ziff, chairman and chief executive of Town Centre Securities, the “core buildings [have been] the same as they were” when first built.
The building was stripped back to its frame and reclad with StoneLite® Panels composed of locally-sourced Yorkshire sandstone – a material that achieves the highest possible rating for construction materials in the Building Research Establishment’s (BRE) Green Guide to Specification.
Due to its new surface, increased insulation levels and reduced air leakage, the building’s operating costs were lowered and heat loss was reduced. Its low energy design exceeded the requirements for efficient energy performance of new buildings.
Of all the waste that was removed from the job site during the refurbishment, 70% of it was recycled.
This project, which began in 2007, is the first of more renovations to come for the Merrion Centre. Merrion’s site owner believes that continued improvements would deliver real vibrancy and vitality to the city centre.
For more information on re-cladding or over-cladding with StoneLite® panels from Stone Panels, Inc., call or email us today.
