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With thousands of visitors every year, Plymouth Hoe is a major city landmark, with many flocking to the infamous 500m Promenade to take in the unrivalled waterfront views. However, its main public facilities – located just a stone’s throw away from the iconic Smeaton’s Tower – had aged to a point where it is was no longer suitable for use, with the structure falling into a state of disrepair and fatigue.
Working with Plymouth City Council, which had pledged £600k towards the building’s refurbishment, TEC was instructed to create new high-quality facilities, which were not only fit for public use and in line with modern standards, but also accessible to all.
Safely demolishing the original structure, we began by reconstructing the building; which included using the expertise and skill of South West concrete cast experts, Mexboro Concrete, to recreate the unique and historic circular balustrade detailing.
Working next door to a live café, as well as taking substantial measures to protect a large hundred-year-old tree at the front of the site, we rebuilt the new replicate block; creating six unisex toilets, as well as a ‘Changing Places’ room – an area which offers the space and equipment required for people with all types of disabilities. At the rear of the structure, we also constructed new facilities for local authority worker use, including toilets, private wash spaces and storage areas.
Ensuring the infrastructure was in place to support the new facilities, the build required a variety of skilled trades, from bricklayers and plumbers, to electricians and bricklayers; all of which ensured the new building met the high standards required for public use. In addition to all of the external reconstruction works and internal fit-out, and to match with its picturesque waterfront landscape, our team also landscaped the surrounding outside space, as well as installing a water fountain for visitor use.
Every element of the structure was constructed to the highest quality standards, with the electrical and mechanical project element seeing the installation of the latest Part L and F Building Regulation compliant equipment; ensuring the building makes considerable energy consumption savings.
Now open to visitors, the new structure sets the standard for similar public buildings, making high quality, accessible and functional facilities available to all.