Engineering firm bags healthy Sports Direct megastore contract

Leeds-based Adept Civil and Structural Consulting Engineers has been appointed by construction firm ISG to provide engineering services on a new megastore and fitness club in Glasgow for Sports Direct.

The three-storey unit offering more than 180,000 sq ft of retail space, will also house luxury retailer Flannels, high street brand USC, and an Everlast Fitness Club, which are all owned by Sports Direct.

As part of the work, a former retail unit on Glasgow’s Auchinlea Way is being reconfigured and extended, with Adept designing and overseeing the assembly of a 450-tonne, three-storey steel frame within the building.

Erol Erturan, managing director of Adept, says: “Winning this contract is fantastic news for us, especially because it’s our first project in Scotland.  It features a hugely impressive steel frame that is cantilevered over the existing foundations and the design includes a timber deck first floor mezzanine, which could easily be removed without having to make any structural changes to the building or its frame.  This gives the entire unit a huge amount of flexibility, should its layout ever need to be changed in the future.”

Richard Oldfield, ISG’s retail framework director, added:: “Sports Direct represents one of the UK’s most successful retail roll outs and the company’s focus on creating a house of brands for its new store designs is a key development for the business. The new Glasgow outlet brings a new gym concept – Everlast Fitness Clubs to Scotland, as well as the country’s second ever Flannels store. This is a key win for our business as we add Sports Direct to our client portfolio of the most influential global retail brands.”