To meet a very tight 30-week build and refit deadline, with the store remaining open throughout the work – the first time in Sainsbury’s history that this had been achieved for a store outside London.
The solution was to use a steel frame, clad with 100mm thick metal cladding and finished with brick to complement the existing glazed store frontage. The Ibstock Fastwall™ system, comprising composite panels of 20mm thick brick slips bonded to a patented backing, was chosen for speed and appearance. Standard 8-course high panels, lifted into position using hoists, enabled the whole area of external cladding to be completed in just 2 weeks, contributing significantly to the very short overall build time.
