Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall
Located in Colchester, this new Lecture hall completed at
the end of 2006 is the latest shining touch to the
University of Essex Campus. Sitting within the central
part of the campus, the new oval shaped building
surprises and shines with its unusual design and the
material mix of stainless steel and glass. The building, one
of the largest lecture halls of any UK higher education
institution, will provide the university with an academic
lecture and theatre facility with a seating capacity of
1,000 people. As a venue, the facilities can be subdivided
into two independent parts, enabling the
University to organise and host exhibitions, conferences
and other examinations.
About the construction itself, the Lecture Hall is sited on
a sloping area, sitting on a grid of concrete ground beams
supported off piles. The structure of the building is
formed of in situ concrete. The roof is being supported
by a combination of laminated timber and steel beams.
On the internal side of the building, the walls are built
with a mix of concrete, block work and partition walls,
forming an acoustic barrier for the main auditorium.
Initially imagined to be covered with copper, the building
features UGIBRIGHT stainless steel cladding. UGIBRIGHT,
a high reflective stainless steel chosen by the architects
for its aesthetic aspect, gives a specific “signature” to the
building itself. Traditional interlocking shingles used as a
cladding solution, UGIBRIGHT reflects its surroundings
whilst playing with the light, a true
chameleon.
Traditionally used by sub-contractors, the shingle
technique perfectly forms the oval shape of the
building. Easy to install, the shingles dimensions here
are 2000 mm x 450 mm.
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