Manchester Airport’s new £20 million air traffic control tower is now officially open and fully operational.

The new tower stands 60 metres tall, making it the second tallest in the UK after Heathrow and has been designed to provide 360-degree panoramic views around the airport, Greater Manchester and into Cheshire.

The completion of the project marks the end of a collaborative five year effort, commencing with the award for the project in late 2007, won against significant European interest.

Chris White, Group Director at CPMG said; “The project has been a challenging, yet rewarding experience for us and for one of the UK’s largest airports. The successful transition of the air traffic services from the old tower to the new tower was a momentous date for all involved.”

The construction of the 60 metre shaft was completed in just nine days and was led by contractor, Morgan Sindall who used the ‘Slipform’ process which involved concrete being continuously poured for 222 hours. Approximately 600 cubic metres of concrete and 65 tons of steel reinforcement were cast to form the nine metre wide shaft.

We have become a leading authority in the design of air traffic control towers, completing more than any other architectural practice in the UK. The new tower we designed for Birmingham Airport recently won ‘Project of the Year’ in the West Midlands RICS Awards. We have also designed baggage handling facilities, terminals, departure lounges and hangars.