Sneinton Market Square regeneration project, Nottingham

This was a fantastic project to be involved for Machan Engineering.

The Sneinton Market & Eastside Gateway Neighbourhood Development Plan, produced by Gehl Architects in July 2008 identified the Sneinton Market Square area as forming the “bridge” between the communities of St Anns and Sneinton to the east, and the City Centre.

Artisits impression based on feasibility design

The vision saw the development of a new square as forming the heart of the area and creating a new sense of place, acting as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the area.

Working with the City Council, Nottingham Regeneration Ltd. secured funding from the East Midlands Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund to deliver a £6.8million scheme of public realm and connectivity improvements including the creation of a new public square adjoining the new Victoria Leisure Centre. This space will be used for markets and special events and create a new civic space at the heart of Sneinton Market.

The redevelopment of Sneinton Market was to create a fantastic new public space that would be a venue for events, markets, gatherings, performances, festivals and community use. Local residents and visitors alike would be able to enjoy the new square.

Patel Taylor architects developed the design for the new square.

Machan Engineering was contacted to produce bespoke arm rests and backs for granite seats as well as bespoke stainless steel tree grilles and tree guards that would compliment the mainly granite landscape design.

Sneinton Market Square project image taken from pateltaylor.co.uk showing Machan tree protection products in foreground

Sneinton Market Square project image taken from pateltaylor.co.uk showing stainless steel armrests on polished granite seat bases

Part of this regeneration project was a commission called ‘Orchard‘, which opened in December 2011 with the planting of apple trees in the new square. The trees were intended for communal use and celebrated the market’s long history as a centre for food production and distribution.

Working with Nottingham City Council and Patel Taylor architects the Contemporary Art Society appointed Neville Gabie as lead artist on the regeneration of Sneinton Market Square, Nottingham. Gabie donated apple trees of 100 different varieties through his Apple Tree Adoption network to local residents, schools and community organisations of Sneinton and St Ann’s in order to create a diverse urban orchard spanning the east side of the city.

Sneinton Market Square is now a beautiful focal point for the local community and visitors. Machan Engineering is greatful to have been involved in such a prestigious project that has involved local people, artists, traders and local government agencies alike and has seen this former pay and display car park turn into something that citizens of Sneinton can be proud of.

Sneinton Market Square project image taken from pateltaylor.co.uk

For more information about Machan Engineering products and services please visit www.machanengineering.com or give us a call on (+44) 01324 824309 to see how we can help you with your project.

Large bespoke planters for Alexandra Park, Glasgow

This project was completed in 2009 and was for the design, manufacture and supply of big planters for the entrance to Alexandra Park in Glasgow.

Glasgow City Council required some large robust planters for the entrance to Alexandra Park, Dennistoun, Glasgow. The planters were to replace the existing timber ones, and had to fit in with the design of the existing street furniture, which included a cast iron pergola, benches and bollards. Part of the brief was that planters shouldn’t look out of place in front of the grand entranceway to the park and they were also to include the name as part of the design.

The entrance to Alexandra Park, showing pergola and street furniture

The old planters were haxagonal, so Machan Engineering set about manufacturing a set of planters true to this original design, and incorporated a moulding around the hexagonal shape to mirror the mouldings on the surrounding bollards. The planters were also supplied with plaques that read Alexandra Park, as requested by the client.

Mild steel hexagonal planter, painted and supplied with mouldings to fit in with existing street furniture

In order to offer a bit of height in the design, some of the bespoke planters were manufactured with integrated hanging baskets.

One of the hexagonal mild steel planters with an integrated hanging basket (background)

The planters were manufactured in mild steel to offer a robust product and keep costs down, and were painted black with a gold trim to match the surrounding street furniture.

Close up of the Alexandra Park plaque at the fron of the planter, as requested by the client

For more information about Machan Engineering products and services please visit www.machanengineering.com or give us a call on (+44) 01324 824309 to see how we can help you with your project.

Recreation and installation of cast iron pergola and drinking fountain, Lesmahagow

This latest blog post describes how Machan Engineering was responsible for the project management aspect of the reinstatement of a historical landmark in the small Lanarkshire town of Lesmahagow.

Lesmahagow is a small town near Lanark in the central belt of Scotland. In 1926, the original pergola and water fountain were removed from an area of the village known as ‘The Fountain’, because the structure was deemed to be interfering with the bus route into the village.

A picture showing the original drinking fountain and pergola, which was removed in 1926 to allow for bus access.

After pressure from local residents, South Lanarkshire Council granted permission for the pergola and fountain to be reinstated. The Council contacted Machan Engineering to manufacture and install an exact replica of the original. The old structure had been cast by the Walter MacFarlane Saracen Foundry, whose work includes the Bailie James Martin Memorial Drinking Fountain, which is situated in Glasgow Green.

Original drinking fountain and pergola, Lesmahagow

Machan Engineering set about researching the cast iron fountain and pergola and, using local expertise in the shape of Denny-based Specialised Castings Ltd, who were able to procure the original moulds for some of the pieces. Other pieces were created from scratch, using drawings of the original as a guide.

Machan Engineering also called on the expertise of local company JPS Restoration & Property Services, as to how the pieces should be put together. JPS was also the installer. Machan Engineering acted as project manager throughout, and was also responsible for the painting of the structures on site.

The junction of New Trows Road and Abbey Green in Lesmahagow had always been known as The Fountain, but since 1926, the area had been without a structure to justify its name.

Machan’s expertise and relationships with local tradespeople were pivotal in recreating the beautiful pergola and water fountain from original materials, resulting in the reinstatement of this historical landmark.

For more information about Machan Engineering products and services please visit www.machanengineering.com or give us a call on (+44) 01324 824309 to see how we can help you with your project.

Bespoke timber and cast iron seats for the Arboretum, Nottingham’s oldest public park

Machan benches compliment The Aviary at Arboretum perfectly

Opened in 1852, the Arboretum is Nottingham’s oldest public park. It houses a collection of over 800 trees, and being close to the city centre, it is used year-round by visitors and inhabitants alike.

In 2011, the City Council saw the need to replace the public seating in the park, but were met with some challenges: there was a restricted budget, and any new benches had to fit in with existing furniture as well as the overall aesthetics of the park.

A local Nottingham company had already created bespoke seating for the park: these seats had decorative bronze ends, twig patterns on the legs and rustic timber seats. Unfortunately, the new seat ends were stolen to be sold as scrap.

Machan Engineering, a specialist designer and manufacturer of street furniture for more than 25 years, was called in to come up with a solution.

For the replacement seats to fit in with their surroundings, Machan had moulds made in-house of the original bronze seat ends, so that they could be made out of cast iron – a less tempting prospect for metalwork thieves.

Cast iron seat ends manufactured in-house to replace stolen bronze versions.

The Iroko timber slats were naturally treated and the cast iron left raw so that it would weather with age, gaining an increasingly rustic appearance over time.

Nottingham City Council ended up with very similar seats to those initially purchased. The new seats came in under budget and fitted beautifully in with the Arboretum surroundings. Machan Engineering also suggested to the client that they could stipple-brush the cast iron seat ends, to give them a finish akin to that of weathered bronze.

Fliss Hogg of Nottingham City Council was delighted with the result: “The Arboretum benches were designed by a local Nottingham company and fit perfectly within a heritage park. Unfortunately, the original benches were created using bronze for the ends, and these were stolen because of the scrap value. Machan Engineering created a bench following the original design using cast iron ends and Iroko timber. The benches look great in the park. The cast iron is currently left untreated, which makes the benches look old.”

For more information about Machan Engineering please visit www.machanengineering.com or give us a call on (+44) 01324 824309 to se how we can help you with your project.