Following consultation with the city planning department, stonemason Mather & Ellis ordered Clement W20 steel windows for phases three, four and five of works completed during 2014 at The University of Manchester. Steel windows were replaced in many of the university’s buildings including the Beyer Building, John Owens Building and the Christie Library.
The Beyer opened in 1887 to house geology, zoology and botany facilities and was named in memory of Charles Beyer (1813–1876), a German born engineer and major donor to Owens College, which later became The University of Manchester. The Gothic-style John Owens Building was the first on this site. Like all the early structures, it was designed by local architect, Alfred Waterhouse, who also famously designed Manchester Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum.
The Christie Library, completed in 1898, was the gift of Richard Copley Christie, historian, bibliophile, lawyer and executor of industrialist Joseph Whitworth.
All the buildings are listed and have significant historical importance in both a regional and national context, which was why specifying the appropriate window suite was incredibly important to ensure sensitive replica replacement.
Although the Clement W20 steel window system was used throughout, every building had individual design and installation specifications to maintain the correct appearance.
Peter Clement, chief executive at Clement Windows, said: “It has been a privilege to be involved in the restoration of the original buildings at The University of Manchester. The team at Clement are very proud of the work completed to date.”
