Stonework specialist Blanc de Bierges has won a contract to provide the entrance steps at a £30m development in Leicester.
The former Leicester City Council office on New Walk is being converted into offices, flats, shops and a car park.
Blanc de Bierges, based in Derby, is to supply all of the steps to the main entrance of the centre, which consists of two five-storey high buildings that are being built by Leicester property company, Sowden Group, using contractors John Sisk and Sons Ltd.
Chris McBride, managing director of Blanc de Bierges, said: “This is one of the biggest jobs we have done in the Midlands recently. It is good to be working with John Sisk and Franklin Ellis – they are involved in a lot of large prestigious contracts.
“Historically Blanc de Bierges was renowned for large public realm schemes. Following on from the work we did at the Brighton i360 plaza this year we are now doing more, which is great for us. It’s good to know that people are opting for a higher quality product.”
The curved steps provided for the New Walk project are bespoke and made to order by Blanc de Bierges, with a total of 504 units forming the main entrance staircase and two side staircases.
They were cast using one of Blanc’s specialist reconstituted stone mixes, made to fit in with the resin bound gravel surrounding it. It is hoped they will be in place at the development by the end of the year.
The New Walk project was designed by Nottingham based Franklin Ellis Architects, which Blanc de Bierges assisted with the design from the early stages, providing samples, drawings andbudgetary costings.
Once complete, the site will include 50,000 square feet of office space and 54 high-end apartments.
