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Its Acantha system has provided the hotel’s crowning glory – an eye catching, decorative façade for a stylish finish.

Designed by architects Leach Rhodes Walker and built by Carillon, its triangular plan form creates a unique internal arrangement. Crucial to its external aesthetic is a marked contrast between the two main façades. To achieve this designers specified Carea basalt stone effect cladding on the building’s southern façade and decorative glass on the northern face of the building. The colours of the cladding and glass, matched by the hotel’s interior, have produced a striking building that creates a visual impact on the city’s skyline.

The Carea cladding, manufactured from a cutting edge exclusive composite developed over thirty years by the company’s expert technicians, was installed by specialist contractor Red Architectural. Carea panels are available in over 30 different shades and a range of textures. Offered in a variety of panel sizes, they are matched by a selection of comprehensive joints and fittings. Providing excellent thermal efficiency and eliminating cold bridging – as well as comprising around 95% natural minerals – they are a highly sustainable choice.

Once installed, Carea cladding panels provide several performance benefits. Offering a high degree of insulation, they play a pivotal role in improving the hotel’s thermal efficiency, thereby lowering its heating needs and aiding sustainability. Crucially for a hotel, they provide excellent acoustic insulation, limiting disturbance to guests of the city central hotel.

To fix the Carea cladding panels in place, a support system from Eurofox Engineering was specified. Made from aluminium – crucial for meeting the architect’s environmental ambitions for the scheme – they meet the common European regulations for hung ventilated façades.

Carea cladding is supplied with specially designed horizontal rails that can be easily fixed to vertical brackets such as those supplied by Eurofox. The 14mm panels feature a groove system, allowing them to be easily andprecisely fixed into place for a building exterior uninterrupted aesthetically and structurally. 

Once installed, Carea cladding panels provide several performance benefits. Offering a high degree of insulation, they play a pivotal role in improving the hotel’s thermal efficiency, thereby lowering its heating needs and aiding sustainability. Crucially for a hotel, they provide excellent acoustic insulation, limiting disturbance to guests of the city central hotel.

Superb economy is provided by Carea panels. Not only can they be quickly installed, minimising labour costs, but they are also exceptionally low maintenance and can be easily cleaned. Highly resistant to the climate, ensuring their longevity, their non-porous composition also ensures that they are unaffected by graffiti.

With locations all around the world, this latest venture marks Crowne Plaza’s return to Manchester after a four year absence. Now fully open, the 4* hotel features 228 bedrooms and encapsulates the stylish vibe of the cosmopolitan city from the inside out – thanks to Carea’s outstanding cladding.

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