Construction of The Gateway, Antrim

Antrim and Newtownabbey Council commissioned a £2m+ Design & Build project to construct ‘The Gateway’ building in Antrim. QMAC Construction, through a competitive two-stage pre-qualification and tender process were successfully appointed. The project, part funded by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), and Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership, resulted in the creation of a new multi-faceted building, which is home to Lough Neagh Rescue. It also hosts ‘The Boathouse’ restaurant, with an outdoor terrace offering views across Lough Neagh.

Construction involved piling, a very complex structure with exposed columns, a Swisspearl façade panelling, a reinforced concrete frame, pre-cast slabs, demolition of an existing café on completion, followed by external site works and landscaping.

Placing a sewage pumping station approximately 4m below ground level in high water table levels close to the Lough was anything but straight forward. It involved the installation of a cofferdam, pumps, and settlement measures to deal with the incoming groundwater.

To read the project profile in NI Builder magazine, click here.

For further information on the opening of the new facility, click here.