Facade Restoration to External Envelope of Iconic Independent Emporium

Quadriga Contracts Limited has successfully finished the restoration of the iconic Affleck’s Palace Building in the Northern Quarter of Manchester City Centre. This famous shopping Aladdin’s Cave was, until very recently, destined to become city centre apartments.

However, after overwhelming protests against the scheme, landlords Bruntwood began negotia¬tions with Affleck’s founder Elaine Walsh to save this popular emporium.
Afflecks (formerly Affleck’s Palace) is a striking five-storey building, housing an indoor market of unusual independent stalls, small shops and boutiques. The building was original¬ly occupied by a long established independent department store called Affleck and Brown; Debenhams then acquired it in the early 1950s and owned it until 1973.

On 31 March 2008 Affleck’s Palace ceased trading, and traders were told they would have to vacate the building by the end of January 2009, after Brentwood’s were unable to renew the 25-year lease which ran out in June 2007. Suggestions then followed that Bruntwood would redevelop the building into a residential site. However after objections to the scheme, Brunt¬wood took the unprecedented step of buying the Affleck’s Management Company to assure the safety of this significant building’s future.
In a joint statement, Bruntwood and Affleck’s management team said: “After 26 years of trading, Affleck’s management has sold their company to Bruntwood in an agreement that protects the future of Afflecks. Bruntwood will manage Afflecks while they look for a new owner.” A Bruntwood spokesman added, “never in our 30 years history have we bought one of our customer’s businesses, but Afflecks is an icon that we wanted to protect. Coun¬cilor Pat Karney from Manchester City Council added: “I am delighted a deal has been done.

“Afflecks Palace is the face of the Northern Quarter and the face of independent retailing in Manchester.”
Following on from the extensive facade restoration carried out ChurchGate House, also in central Manchester, Quadriga were commissioned to repair to the external envelope of this former independent department store. Remedial works included, liquid applied waterproof membrane to flat roofs, wet grit blasting to rendered and stone work facades to remove numerous layers of paint in preparation for restoration, the removal of defective render and application of a new render system, in situ stone restoration to cills, mouldings and fea¬tures, the stabilising of unsound brickwork – many parapet walls were carefully dismantled and rebuilt, masonry clean to brickwork elevations, fixing bird deterrent system in the form of sprung wire and netting and the complete redecoration of all facades, windows and shop fronts.

Quadriga Contracts Limited is a company dedicated to preserving our English Heritage and with the team’s combined talent, commitment and experience; the work they produce is of exceptional quality and to the highest standard.