Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre: Phase 2
All Case StudiesCreating a modern food hall
Maidstone Borough Council selected us to deliver the second phase of refurbishment works at the Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre. Having completed a facelift of the building in 2020, we were delighted to be involved again, working alongside the Council and Contract Administrator Jones Hargreaves.
This time, we were tasked to create a brand new food hall and external dining area. The aim of the project was to create a space where local caterers could offer a diverse selection of high-quality food.
We started with a full strip out of the redundant retail units before beginning the construction of eight independent catering booths. The booths were fitted with tiles, suspended ceilings and roller shutters for added security. We supplied and installed bespoke joinery items, including new counters, banquet seating and art screens. We also fitted new furniture in the communal seating area.
In addition to the food hall, we refurbished and upgraded the existing washrooms. Brand-new, additional toilets, including an accessible toilet, were also created along with new storage rooms.
The project required a full mechanical and electrical installations package, including new ventilation and fire-rated extraction systems, heating and cooling, a new fire suppression system, plumbing, drainage and gas supplies. We completed a full re-wire, including new fire detection system, power supplies, LED lighting and suspended feature lighting in the dining hall.
We installed new oak-effect floor finishes and sprayed exposed soffits black to give the food hall a modern, industrial look. Finishing touches included new signage and artwork painted by a local artist.
The Phase 2 of works at Lockmeadow was a complex piece of work. This is the second time I have had the pleasure in working with Form and I cannot praise them enough. They are flexible, professional and really good at their job. They had to deal with tenants moving in to their units whilst they were still running their site and they did this in a very friendly, supportive way. I hope that I will get the opportunity to work with them again.
Alexa Kersting-Woods Leisure Property Manager, Maidstone Borough Council
A challenging but rewarding project
With over 24,000 people visiting Lockmeadow every week, this project required a considerate approach to the health and safety arrangements and site logistics. Our team coordinated closely with the building management team to ensure minimum disruption.
We worked simultaneously in two areas on each side of the building, keeping the front of the passage open to the public. The dividing walls in the foyer area were taken down towards the end of the project to create one large walk-in hall with communal seating. The area was secured with hoarding and traffic re-directed to the alternative entrance at the back of the complex.
The external terrace posed another challenge. Due to site location and ground conditions discovered during the post-tender surveys, we were required to re-work the original design of the terrace. We built a new structure, finished with composite decking, festoon lighting, planters and furniture. This created a warm and welcoming external seating and dining area with beautiful riverside views.
This was a challenging but rewarding project for Form. We were very pleased to receive a very positive feedback from both the Client and Contract Administrator upon completion of the works.
William Jenkins, Associate Partner at Jones Hargreaves said: ”It has been a pleasure to work with Form on the refurbishment of Lockmeadow Entertainment Centre. They have been proactive in rectifying any unforeseen issues with a client focused mentality. We look forward to working with Form again in the future.”
We are delighted to support the Council in making Lockmeadow a more attractive destination for local residents and businesses alike.
See our Lockmeadow Phase 1 case study to find out more about the external refurbishment we completed at Lockmeadow in 2020.
