CLADDING & SHEETING
< structures, by the addition of a striking
copper-clad façade. Cheshire West and
Chester council had a bold plan to deliver
a £37 million vision for transforming the
Grade II-listed Odeon building, which
had been closed for many years, into an
exciting new communal space.
Featuring our Proteus HR rainscreen
clad copper ‘head’, the project was an
inspired rework and reinvigoration of
the 1930s cinema. Whilst the building
has undergone dramatic redevelopment,
it has still retained its historical character
and aesthetics.
The success of the award-winning
design stems from the way that the
TECU Classic copper-clad extension
containing the theatre spaces was
added to the shell of the Grade II
building. The ribbed, abstracted
rainscreen clad ‘fins’ create a new
façade that still pays homage to the
original building. However, whilst
the proportions of the extension relate
directly to the listed structure below,
the copper and glass helps to create an
aesthetic that provides contrast and
identity to the newbuild elements.
Another project that has remained
faithful to its original design, which
was developed by Arup Associates
and completed in the early 1990s, is 4
Longwalk in Stockley Park, Hayes.
Barr Gazetas architects was
commissioned to carry out an extensive
refurbishment of the building, including
fitting it out to CAT A standard. The
futuristic Grade A office redevelopment
next to Heathrow airport, now consists
of a new dynamic entrance, atrium and
dramatic roof soffit, featuring our HR
high gloss painted panels in signal grey.
Identical panels also feature at the
rear of the building to create a vertical
band of rainscreen cladding that runs
up the building over a stair core and
ground level entrance and walkway.
Our HR soffit panels, specified by
Barr Gazetas architects and installed by
Deepdale Solutions, also form a striking,
reflective underside of the large 19 metre
cantilevered roof that shelters the front
forecourt and vehicle drop-off point,
adding drama to the main entrance.
A link with the original Arup building
design is maintained through a large
circular penetration that is punched
through the projecting roof, which
also creates additional light and space.
Proteus assisted during the design
process, detailing the installation of this
circular aperture to ensure it integrated
perfectly with the soffit.
Summary
While trying to retain a building’s
historical past can result in a number of
design limitations, it does not necessarily
mean that it should be frozen in time.
Making well-informed decisions about
the design and choice of materials used
for architecturally significant buildings,
like those taken at Chester and Stockley
Park, can be the difference between
retaining and losing its true identity.
Copper for example, remains one
of the most versatile, attractive and
adaptable architectural materials
available. It has been used for centuries
for roofing, cladding and rainwater
systems, and remains as sought-after
today as it always has been.
More recent cladding materials, such as
aluminium, which offers a vast array of
surface finishes and colours, for example,
anodised or painted, such as those used
for Stockley Park, provide designers with
more options than ever.
w www.proteusfacades.com
Longwalk in
Stockley Park,
Hayes
42 www.rcimag.co.uk July 2018
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