Manchester Central: Exchange Hall (UK)

Manchester Central is the new name for GMEX and the Manchester International Convention Centre. The combined exhibition and conference facilities make up a unique complex in Manchester’s city centre. The complex is concentrated around the historic station dominating Manchester’s skyline for over 150 years and is now used as a distinctive exhibition, conference and venue for primarily cultural events. In addition to the old station hall or Central Hall, which accommodates 8000 people, the complex offers a wide variety of rooms and conference facilities that can be flexibly adapted to suit various needs. Since a residential complex has been built at the back of the Exchange Hall, one the complex’s halls, noise disturbance had to be kept to a minimum. The original escape doors did not feature high-quality sound insulation. The most important requirements for replacing these doors were good sound insulation and a simple application for the existing situation.

Merford supplied a tandem MN53 construction through its partner in England, which liberally met the R’w 40 dB sound-insulation requirement. The doors are fitted with an anti-panic bar to meet the escape function requirement.