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  • The Parkway gate in Manchester

Did you know that … Granite® HDX brings colour and light to student life in Manchester?

Parkway Gate is an unconventional modern student housing complex that has been built on the edge of Manchester (UK) city centre. Consisting of three residential buildings, the development includes accommodation for up to 730 students and over 2,400 m2 of retail space on the ground floor. The three towers, which range in height from 13 to 17 storeys, are interconnected through a common ground floor.


 Attractive recreation space 

The space between the buildings forms a courtyard which can be utilised by the student residents. While the external sides of each tower were given their own unique finish, all of the tower walls facing the courtyard have been clad in ArcelorMittal’s Granite® HDX to give the courtyard a unified feeling. The muted colours of Granite® HDX direct light down into the space, making it an attractive and appealing area in which to study or spend time with friends.

A new benchmark in design

Parkway Gate offers a new benchmark in the design of student accommodation. Since it opened in 2008, the development has been recognised with several awards including:
 

  • Best Residential Development 2008, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
  • Large Scale Residential Award 2009, Manchester Society of Architects (MSA)
  • Overall MSA Award 2009, Manchester Society of Architects (MSA)

The design for Parkway Gate was created by Ian Simpson Architects, a Manchester-based architectural firm with offices in both Manchester and London.


The façades of all three buildings were constructed using the fast-track Envirosips structural insulated panel system. The external façades were clad with contrasting coloured Silk-Façade architectural panels from SBC HollandGroep.

Performing in harsh environments

Parkway Gate is situated adjacent to the Mancunian Way, an elevated motorway that forms the boundary of the central Manchester city area. Granite® HDX will provide many, many years of guaranteed performance, even in this industrial and polluted environment.


In fact, Granite® HDX is an ideal choice for many harsh environments including cold and wet areas, coastal regions and sunny areas with high levels of ultraviolet radiation. The organic coated steel has ideal corrosion protection and colour stability.


About Granite® HDX

ArcelorMittal’s Granite® HDX provides:

  • An extensive palette of colours and metallic shades which exhibit outstanding colour and gloss retention
  • A robust metallic substrate which provides high corrosion resistance and cut-edge protection
  • An automatic guarantee of up to 30 years depending on the external environment

Granite® HDX is ideal for northern European environments and areas which are:

  • Cold and wet
  • Coastal (less than 20 km from the sea)
  • Sunny with strong UV radiation
  • Industrial and polluted