Iconic construction project reflecting on WWII

Client: Imperial War Museum
Sector: Leisure
Value: &#163;18m
Location: North West
Services: Construction Support, Pre-Construction
Completion date: 2002

Visionary architect Libeskind’s first major British construction project, Manchester’s Imperial War Museum is a fitting home for the exhibits on show.

Symbolising a world torn apart by conflict, the museum consists of three giant shards of a shattered globe, representing the three theatres of war, earth, water and air.

Tackling the complex geometry was a challenge and required close cooperation, meticulous planning and precision construction. The team worked to define the detail where the planes, spheres and cylinders meet, developing solutions to deliver a flawless experience for visitors.

Clad in shimmering aluminium and rising to 55m above ground, the museum has become a striking landmark on the city skyline.

Precision construction
The technically challenging design demanded precision construction with minimal tolerances.

We made sure all the elements would fit perfectly, providing detail for pre-fabrication and pre-drilling of the cladding. Our meticulous approach to construction management meant the programme ran like clockwork.
Sustainable cooling solutions
The nearby Manchester Ship Canal provides “free cooling” for the building. Drawn from the canal’s depths, cold water is fed through a series of plate exchangers, keeping the building cool in summer.
Hand-finished floors
The main exhibition room’s striking floor required lateral thinking. Curved in all directions, it is designed to mimic the curvature of the Earth and to give the impression of people in the distance disappearing over the horizon.

To achieve the effect, the concrete, which falls by 2m across the room, was levelled by hand.