Horizon Cruise Terminal

The UK’s busiest cruise terminal and second largest container port has opened a brand new cruise terminal using structural sections supplied by British Steel.

The Port of Southampton’s new world-class cruise facility, Horizon Cruise Terminal, opened its doors to passengers for the first time in July, ahead of its formal opening later in the year.

MSC Cruises' MSC Virtuosa was the first ship to welcome passengers at the terminal, which is fitted with Shore Power – technology which enables ships to plug into an on-shore electricity supply while in dock, allowing it to reduce engine use and emissions. It also has more than 2,000 roof-mounted solar panels, which means that on a day-to-day basis it will generate more power than it uses.

The 11,695 sqm structure features curved glulam beams and exposed soffits to create a spectacular wave shaped roof. Its futuristic design also includes curtain walling, green and renewable features as well as stone walling at its entrance as a salute to Southampton’s historic city walls.

The building has been designed to accommodate larger cruise ships and allow more than 6,000 passengers to disembark and embark in a single day.

It was named by a local resident following a competition earlier in the year that welcomed name suggestions from across the world. The name, Horizon, represents a bright new chapter for cruising which is an iconic part of the heritage of the city of Southampton and its future.

Brymor Construction provided the design and construction services as the main contractor for the Port of Southampton’s operator, Associated British Ports (ABP).

The value engineering efforts of John Reid & Sons Ltd (REIDsteel) were instrumental for the viability of the project. The company used a wide variety of British Steel products to reduce base reactions by a factor of 10.

This saved millions of pounds. REIDsteel conceived, designed, detailed and fabricated the steel frame of the structure.