Work complete on multi-million pound upgrade of Manchester Uni’s Samuel Alexander Building

A multi-million pound overhaul of the building that houses the University of Manchester’s School of Arts, Languages and Cultures is now complete.

Salford-based MC Construction, which delivered the two-year upgrade of the Samuel Alexander Building, said the £9.5m contract was the largest in its 46-year history.

The project saw the Grade II-listed property on Oxford Road remodelled and refurbished across each of its four wings.

Work involved refurbishment and expansion of the office areas and the creation of language hubs and common rooms. Upgrades were also made to the site’s café, IT cluster, Classics wing and an entrance.

Elsewhere, the scheme delivered improvements to the Samuel Alexander Building’s courtyard and replaced services such as power, lighting and heating.

MC Construction’s commercial director, Eugene O’Callaghan, led the project delivery team.

Eugene said: “A major refurbishment project in a live environment presents a number of challenges.

“Careful planning and a great deal of hard work by our delivery teams, combined with a proactive, collaborative approach from all involved, have produced an excellent result for this landmark project.”

He added: “The successful completion of this scheme strengthens our expertise in the education and commercial sectors, and we are now targeting similar-sized projects as part of our ongoing expansion strategy.”

Other firms involved included project manager Gardiner & Theobald, consulting engineers WYG Group and architect Halliday Meecham.

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