One of England’s most iconic venues is undergoing a huge £25m rebuild with help from Polypipe Building Services.

The Grade II Listed Blackpool Winter Gardens is set to open a new conference centre this year in what is the first major development at the site since the construction of the Opera House in 1939.

This was a challenging project – with both a refurbishment of the existing building and a new-build as part of the complex – so Polypipe Building Services, the commercial building specialists, was called in to offer expertise on a drainage solution.

Contractors McLaughlin and Harvey, and CMB Fylde Engineering needed an adaptable solution that would not reduce the available space in the two-storey, 3,890 square metre conference centre.

Polypipe Building Services provided on-site support and their high performance Terrain Fuze drainage system. The HDPE system was used in the large commercial spaces such as the halls and theatre space due to the homogenous weld giving it maximum joint integrity.

Johnathan Greenwood, Strategic Project Manager at Polypipe Building Services, said: “As well as being a very prestigious project this was also a complex one. Refurbishing a Grade II Listed building has a lot of complications to overcome.

“One of the key benefits to using Fuze at the Winter Gardens was the malleable nature of the product and the fact that it can be cut and welded into delicate positions and angles to create a bespoke system.

“The malleability allows for extra security against loss of useable space.

“Fuze gives specifiers and installers maximum flexibility in the design process with this system and, as it is light in weight, it can be installed quickly and efficiently.”

Funded by the Blackpool Regeneration project, the conference centre will have an exhibition space on first floor and a conference space with a seating capacity of 2,000 on the second floor.

It will also be possible to use the space in conjunction with the other venues throughout the Winter Gardens giving a capacity of 7,000. The venue will feature state of the art amenities necessary for hosting modern conferences and exhibitions, including the latest audio and visual technology.

Pictures courtesy of Blackpool Council