Project handover on the new Whitehead Railway Museum for the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland was recently achieved following successful completion of the 11-month construction programme.

Our managing director, Robert Mackey, said: “MSM is delighted to have worked as main contractor alongside the RPSI and their design team in the redevelopment of the Whitehead Railway Museum.
“The project has required our company to overcome a number of unique challenges associated with delivering the project within a ‘live’ working environment with ongoing restoration works being carried out by RPSI members.
“We wish the RPSI all the best with its new Whitehead Railway Museum when it opens to the public in 2017 and we are confident it will provide a first-class visitor attraction whilst also preserving the link with our steam train engineering past.”

The design team on this project comprised RPS Group (project manager, structural/civil engineers and CDM Co-Ordinator), Ostick + Williams (architects), TUV SUD Wallace Whittle (M&E), Edmond Shipway (cost manager) and Dillon Project Management (project manager for RPSI).

The key elements of this project included:
– traditional construction of a period-style signal building on the platform, designed with similar architectural detailing to the existing main station building
– conversion of an existing stables building into an exhibition building that will accommodate interactive multimedia displays, educational facilities and a café following a subsequent interpretive fit-out contract
– a portal frame 1,600m2 extension to the existing carriage shed
– a two-storey 930m2 extension to the locomotive workshop incorporating a viewing gallery on first floor level
– construction of a 20m diameter reinforced concrete turntable
– laying new and re-laying existing railway track
– gabion retaining walls; reinforced concrete retaining walls; bunker construction
– concrete hardstandings; roads and designated pathways
– perimeter fencing

MSM Contracts have recently been awarded a Design & Build contract by Windsor Developments to construct 17nr apartments in a part 3-storey/4-storey building on the Lisburn Road, south Belfast.

The site is located on the cleared brownfield site of the former St Thomas’ church hall. Access on and around the site is highly restricted as the site is bounded on three sides by adjacent residential and commercial properties with the busy Lisburn Road footpath to the front of the site and the building footprint taking up the full width of the site.

Designed by Like Architects, the timber framed apartment building will consist of 10nr 1-bed apartments and 7nr 2-bed apartments. Fit-out works will be carried out to the apartments and landlord areas. Paved areas will be formed at the front, with paving, soft landscaped areas and a rainwater attenuation tank to the rear of the site.

Construction works started during early September 2016 with works currently at the substructure phase following site preparation works. Project completion is due during summer 2017.

MSM Contracts started work in September to construct a major new hotel development in Belfast for the well-known Belfast-based hotel and property group, Andras House. The 178-bed hotel, under the Hampton by Hilton brand, will comprise nine floors plus plant rooms at roof level and is being constructed on a former car park on Hope Street in Belfast city-centre.

Rajesh Rana, director of Andras House, was recently quoted in the Belfast Telegraph as saying “We are excited and are looking forward to it – it’s another big asset for Belfast. It’s an internationally recognised brand and is very popular in the US. There are a lot being planned for Europe, and it will be a big asset for people coming in to Northern Ireland.

This project represents the third major hotel development in Belfast that our company have carried out with Andras House. Firstly, the newbuild 124-bed ten-storey ibis Belfast City Centre hotel and secondly, the ibis Queens Quarter hotel which involved major refurbishment and extension works to create a boutique 56-bed hotel.

The design team on this project are TODD Architects (architectural); Johnston Houston (QS & CDM Co-ordinator); Brian Murray (civil & structural engineers) and Caldwell Consulting (MEP services).

The construction works on this project will involve the following key elements:
– CFA piling works
– reinforced concrete floor slab and reinforced concrete superstructure frame
– Trocal roof covering
– facing brickwork, self-coloured render, PPC aluminium curtain walling / windows
– complete interior fit-out including to the hotel facilities on the ground floor and bedrooms to the upper levels
– complete mechanical, electrical and lift services installation