Maple are helping create an eye-catching, illuminated car park in Sunderland city centre.
Maple are helping create an eye-catching, illuminated car park in Sunderland city centre.
We’re installing a perforated panel façade for the Farringdon Row multi-storey in the Riverside area of the city.
The perforations will form a huge, abstract image on the side of the 650-space car park - the brainchild of architects Tonkin Liu, who also designed the famous ‘Tower of Light’ in Manchester.
Ironically, car park façades are often used to protect neighbours from the glare of car headlights, as well as providing ventilation for exhaust fumes. But this development will use controlled illumination to create a bright urban landmark, as well as featuring a full-height ‘living wall’.
Nearly 1,900 perforated panels will cover an area of 3,800 sq m and will be anodised in silver to help bring the architect’s concept to life, and also protect against corrosive salty air. The coastal location also means that non-corrosive A4 stainless steel fixings will be used.
The car park project is Maple’s latest collaboration with offsite car park specialists Goldbeck, who’ve been sub-contracted by Sir Robert McAlpine. The green wall façade is being delivered by ANS, who Maple have worked with on the new Victoria Square car park in Woking and an 800-space multi-storey for Chester’s Northgate development.