24 May 2010
The £5.5m Feilden Street multi-storey
car park in Blackburn town centre has opened.
Capita Symonds' Blackburn office provided
architecture, planning, structural engineering, mechanical
engineering, landscape architecture and ecology services on the
project which is set to become a new local landmark.
The new five storey multi storey car park, in
Blackburn town centre, is adjacent to the Waves Leisure Centre,
King George’s Hall and Blackburn College, off the new orbital route
(designed by the highways team in Blackburn). It can accommodate in
excess of 500 cars and replaces the previous 100-space car park at
the Leisure Centre. The new car park is a key element of the town
centre strategy after many of the surface long stay car parks were
closed due to the major new developments in the town.
Ivan Horvath, principal architect, Capita
Symonds, says: “The exciting façade reflects a multifaceted, modern
Blackburn. The materials are layered, stepped and angled to break
up the monolithic structure into a more appropriate form and scale.
Much of the building is wrapped in an architectural fabric which is
overlaid in places by a copper coloured cladding that articulates
the façade. The cladding and fabric are used to great effect on the
most prominent corner which overhangs the entrance to the glazed
commercial units. Here the fabric wraps around the upper floors
while the cladding comes to an oblique point above. Elsewhere,
multi toned blue brickwork creates vertical emphasis around
circulation cores whilst dark grey louvres at ground level
emphasize the horizontal.
The car park has both stepped and ramped
access and is served by two, strategically located, lifts within
the stair access zones, making it fully accessible for anyone with
mobility impairments and those with small children. Part M
compliant, designated disabled spaces near the lifts are provided
on each level.
the exciting façade reflects a multifaceted, modern Blackburn
A security kiosk is located at the car park
entrance adjacent to the automatic control barriers. This will be
man at all times to provide a higher level of security in
conjunction with C.C.T.V monitoring systems. The ability of the car
park to deliver natural daylight through the translucency of the
building façade will promote a light, open space, giving lone
workers a greater sense of security when using the facility outside
normal working hours.”