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• • • ENERGY EFFICIENCY • • •


Preserving the past to safeguard the future


The restoration of a Grade II* listed synagogue and a newly built gallery extension will ensure the stories of the Jewish community from Manchester and beyond continue to be told for generations to come


F


ollowing nearly six years of renovation work and costing £6 million, Manchester Jewish Museum was finally able to reopen its doors once again to visitors at the start of July after a significant redevelopment. Global design engineering consultants, Buro Happold, were brought on board in 2017 to help turn the plans into reality and contribute to the introduction of sustainable features to ensure this historically significant building is preserved for the future. The stunning red-brick synagogue was built in 1874 by the Sephardi Jewish community. Modernising the building while preserving its Victorian Gothic architecture proved to be one of the greatest challenges facing Buro Happold’s engineers. The synagogue’s oak roof structure was on the verge of collapse and needed to be restored to its former glory, with hidden ventilation services established that would utilise and complement aspects of the existing interior. Working on such an historic building didn’t come without its challenges. “One of the main constraints was the lack of record information and the limited opportunities we had to carry out surveys prior to starting on site,” says James Francis-Barrie, Mechanical Engineer at Buro Happold. “We actually had to carry out a significant redesign part way through the project, while the team were on site, as the location of the joists in the building weren’t where we anticipated. Fortunately, we were able to come up with an alternative solution that met the environmental requirements of the space while respecting its listed status”.


An adjacent extension has also been built where the museum’s social history collection will be housed, with additional space for a learning studio and kitchen, collections store, vegetarian café and shop. The architects, Citizen Design Bureau,


ensured the extension was designed in harmony with the historic synagogue and its industrial setting. Deliberately chosen to contrast with the red-brick synagogue, Cor-ten steel was used for the extension’s façade. This is perforated and back lit to reveal a pattern of eight-point geometry to tie in with its historic neighbour and celebrate the origins of the community who built it. To unify the two buildings, Buro Happold designed


new foundations up to the face of the existing building to use as a cantilever. This meant the existing foundations weren’t undermined and the discrete structural solution conceals new elements to respect the synagogue’s historic façade. Close coordination between the structural and


MEP engineers was a must, as services needed to be concealed within the ceiling void to maximise clear space for the expansive, open plan exhibition area. This was achieved by using duo-pitch steel frames over the first-floor gallery, removing the need for internal columns. The connection between the roof cladding and steel beams was also concealed to help retain the open feel of the gallery. Buro Happold’s engineers worked hard to achieve the client’s ambitious energy targets for the project. Although an extension of this scale and scope would typically increase the energy density of a building, energy demand will actually be reduced across the complex by 20 per cent, due to taking a sustainable approach to design and fabric improvements to the old building. Various methods were used to increase energy efficiency, including lining the roof in high- performance insulation, and creating a thermally massive double floor slab in the excavated space beneath the new building.


The main atrium has automatically controlled natural ventilation and old sun burners in the synagogue’s ceiling were repurposed as grilles for


34 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • JULY/AUGUST 2021


a demand driven mechanical extract system. Removing unsightly radiators and installing finned tube heaters, concealed below the pews, provides a localised heating solution which is not only energy efficient but also minimises the visual impact. Finally, a building management system has also been implemented to allow for energy savings to be made over the building’s lifetime. Features, including cycle storage and efficient water fittings, have helped to contribute to the building’s sustainability credentials. The Manchester Jewish Museum holds over 31,000 internationally significant items, and one item was added to the collection while the refurbishment was being carried out. A time capsule was discovered hidden in the walls containing money, synagogue papers and newspapers dating back to when the synagogue was founded. This historic record will be an incredible addition to the collection. “While we have years of experience working on Grade II* listed buildings, this was our first time working in a synagogue. We were already incredibly proud to be working as a part of a project to preserve this religious history but to have some of it uncovered while we were on site was a surprise none of us were expecting”, says James Francis-Barrie.


The sensitive restoration carried out by the whole project team has ensured the preservation of this vital piece of social and religious history, not to mention protected one of the finest examples of Victorian Gothic architecture in the country. Revitalising and repurposing the nearly 150-year- old building will enable people to continue to come together to learn, connect and celebrate Jewish stories with the world and society.


BURO HAPPOLD burohappold.com


electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk


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