10.04.2015

The Diamond - University of Sheffield

Object: The Diamond - University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
Architecture: Twelve Architects, London
Client: University of Sheffield, Sheffield
General contractor: Balfour Beatty, London
Facade construction: Sipral a.s., Prague
Completion: 2015
Images: Jack Hobhouse

BWB finish: pickling (E6 = matting)
BWB procedure: BWB-Colinal 3145 / Level British Standard (BS 3987)

#Architecture #Colinal 

The six-story building with a diamond-shaped facade of anodised aluminium was designed by Twelve Architects and appropriately christened “The Diamond” during its execution. The new building provides 19,500 m² of usable space for the University of Sheffield’s Faculty of Engineering and accommodates around 5,000 students. The layout and design of the spaces are intended to encourage collaboration and interdisciplinary work.

Bronze colour curved aluminium sheets

The glass facade is covered by a lattice design of bronze-coloured bent aluminium sheets called "lattices." BWB-Colinal 3145 components are anodised to Level British Standard, which includes a minimum coating thickness of 25µm and meeting specific requirements. On each element there are 2 to 12 glass panes.

Over 10 thousand individual parts have been installed for the outer shell. Until the final result of the shape, appearance and fastening of the complex facade, several mock-ups had to be created, presented and accepted. In the interior, the diamond-shaped lattice structure is continued with 2,707 black Lattice elements.

"I am very proud of The Diamond building development. Twelve Architects has worked tirelessly to bring forward what I believe is both a fantastic addition to the University estate and Higher Education as a whole."
Keith Lilley, Director of Real Estate and Facilities Management at the University of Sheffield.


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