Caunton - helping to modernise historic Chatham Dock Yard

Caunton Engineering have completed the erection of over 1500te of structural steelwork for the prestigious Boiler Shop factory outlet shopping centre on the banks of the River Medway at Chatham. The centre piece for this development is an existing Grade II listed structure known as The Boiler Shop. The major retail development is constructed in and around this 19th century reminder of the renowned Chatham Dock Yard, once home of Nelson's HMS Victory, and the previous occupier of the site.



The retail development will accommodate 13,536 m² (145,700 sq. ft.) net internal retail accommodation at ground floor and mezzanine levels. A management suite will be situated on an area of timbered flooring retained within the existing structure. The building will incorporate a mixture of old and new materials, but with the original listed frame remaining prominent.



The Boiler Shop comprises a central nave with lower aisles along the north and south elevations. The main Contractor Try Accord has carefully dismantled several existing structures on the site leaving only this main listed building, which has been stripped back and reduced to its original frame, as shown in the photograph.



This frame was manufactured in the mid 1840's for a site at Woolwich Dock Yard but re-erected at Chatham in 1876. It was fabricated out of the 19th century's then traditional framing materials - cast iron and wrought iron. It is now being extended on several fronts, with two single-storey extensions along the entire length of the north and south elevations (again as shown in the photograph), and a two storey feature structure, "The Tent", built onto the east. A two storey structure built onto the west will house the main entrance to the retail centre and a new mezzanine floor will be built within the nave of the existing building. However this time it is being constructed by Caunton in, shall we say, a modern and much more efficient 21st century material, structural steel.



The client for this exciting development is Dockside Developments Ltd. The Architect for the project is KMW and the consulting engineer, Melliss and Partners.
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