Project Info:
Brief: Create a 100m long cruciform-shaped venue from shipping containers on Bents Park, South Shields to house the Easter Weekend ‘The Great North Passion’ event. Xsite architecture was involved in early design development of the shipping container cruciform, and were later appointed to undertake the Site Engineer role.
Design: The early design process involved running through various iterations of the plan, and creating 3D visuals to explain the scheme and help work through the practicalities of how the venue would operate, and how the cruciform venue would be erected.
As Site Engineer, xsite undertook the site setting out, creation and installation of packing pieces to level individual containers, and coordination of container positioning on site to ensure a successful outcome to the scheme.
Setting out such a large structure on a sloping site successfully involved a number of challenges. Pallets were placed on custom-made plywood feet to prevent them sinking into the soft grass. Stacked containers were levelled up using treated timber packing squares, manufactured by xsite. Templates for the containers were manufactured and used to ensure the correct positioning of each container foot, and all marking out and positioning of container feet and packers (some 160 no) was undertaken in a short window prior to the crane and containers arriving on site to ensure a swift and trouble –free installation.