Having remained vacant since the late 1970s, Oldham Town Hall had become something of a blot on the urban landscape. To aide its £37 million redevelopment as a state-of-the-art family entertainment and dining destination, comprising an eight-screen cinema and contemporary restaurants, roofing contractors, Longworth Building Services, required a flexible, easy-to-handle single-ply system that was able to incorporate multi levels and heavy plant equipment without compromise to its watertightness. The Sika-Trocal S system was more than up to the task.
Selected by principal contractor, Morgan Sindall, the initial task for Longworth Building Services’ installation teams was to strip what remained of the existing town hall roof. Due to the amount of heavy plant incorporated within the refurbished roof, installers were required to affix the 2mm Sika-Trocal S membrane beneath steelwork used to support the plant material.
The application was further complicated by a number of dips and gullies contained within the 500m2 roof area. The challenge was made easier by the flexibility afforded by Sika-Trocal Type S. Carrying full BBA accreditation with a 35-year lifespan, the system does not require a separate fastening system for thermal insulation as it utilises the same disc and fastener for securing the insulation and the waterproofing membrane, thus improving the ease and speed of install.
Ben Parker, Business Development Manager at Longworth Building Services, said: “Sika-Trocal S was the only system suitable for a project of this size and complexity. It helped simplify a very technical application. With the amount of heavy plant involved, no other system offered the same level of adherence, and therefore watertightness, as Sika-Trocal S.”
The town hall’s high-quality transformation was recognised at the 2017 RICS North Awards, a highly-prized, property-based contest, by claiming top honours in two categories: Regeneration and Design through Innovation, and Project of the Year.
Will Rees, Director at Rees Straw Chartered Surveyors and Chairman of the awards judging panel, said the revamped town hall had not only created a state-of-the-art family entertainment and dining destination, it had ‘incorporated public realm improvements and helped to regenerate and breathe new life into the town centre’.
The two-year redevelopment of Oldham Town Hall was completed in March 2017. As well as providing an aesthetically-pleasing, watertight roof, Sika-Trocal S’ 25-year warranty means clients, Oldham Council, has long-term assurance of its high-calibre installation and performance. It’s also guaranteed the return of a proud building to the heart of the community with its look and standing enhanced.
