Newport has been undergoing major regeneration led by the city’s 2020 Vision. Included in part of the city centre’s revitalisation is the Friars Walk scheme, a new shopping and leisure destination being developed by Queensberry Real Estate.
Queensberry Real Estate
Leslie Jones
The retail development when completed will provide 36,000m2 of upgraded leisure and retail experience forming a separated extension to the existing shopping centre, with connection to the surrounding area at street level.
The construction is steel framed (6,000 tonnes) on a sloping site, split into 4 building block units built over a new basement under-croft servicing yard, with car parking facilities emerging at the lower street level.
The double level shopping mall contained within the 2 central blocks with 16.0 to 20.0 m clear span ETFE roof creates the main pedestrian thoroughfare, attached to the main 3 level Debenhams anchor store at the northern end and an 8 screen multiplex cinema at the other end of the site.
The frame to be supported included full building height Virendeel girders which clear spanned the basement serviced yard.
The main roof design unusually allowed for differential building movement between the mall building blocks and entranceway, bridging a central movement joint.
The use of independent Waycon precast lift shafts also benefited the speed of construction for the main frame, without the dependency of their construction to provide the support the frame, as normally applied in traditional cast insitu cores.
