A new £5m theatre and community arts centre in Devon has been given an imposing appearance thanks to the use of a dramatic rainscreen cladding solution from Sto.
While creating a crisp and contemporary style for the new Pavilions Teignmouth building, the StoVentec Glass cladding also reflects the surrounding Victorian architecture and helps the new venue to provide a pleasing and contemporary visual contrast to its surroundings.
“As this is very much a community building we wanted it to be a real focal point for the area, and using the StoVentec Glass has certainly helped us achieve that,” explains Project Architect Alex Lammie of LHC Architecture.
“The theatre is part of the Teignbridge Regeneration project and so it was vital that the completed building projected a modern and eye-catching appearance. We worked with Sto to identify the most appropriate size for the glass panels that would work with the window sizes, and also create a clean, grid-based design with sharp, clearly defined lines.”
Some 600 sq mts of the StoVentec Glass system was used to clad the first floor of the new building. The rainscreen cladding system features a rugged, adjustable sub-construction with Sto-Stainless Steel Wall Brackets, aluminium support profiles and Sto-Rainscreen Duo Slab insulation. These are then covered with bespoke StoVentec Glass panels, which feature toughened glass that is bonded to lightweight carrier boards.
All StoVentec Glass solutions are specifically designed to meet the requirements of each individual project, and this helped LHC Architects transform their ideas into reality.
“There were a number of technical challenges which had to be overcome on this particular project especially with the sub-frame design,” comments Mark Shepherd from Sto Technical Services.
“We devised ways to accommodate the detailing around the windows and soffits, as well as the perforations for the louvres and ventilation systems. Working with an experienced installer such as CRL Facades also brought benefits. Installing a rainscreen cladding solution always involves a degree of on-site adjustment and CRL’s input really helped to bring the architect’s design to life.”
The new theatre underlines the tremendous versatility which the StoVentec Glass system offers in terms of design. Every StoVentec Glass project receives an absolutely bespoke solution and this gives designers great freedom, especially as the glass can be provided in a wide range of standard or custom colours, and can even be printed to carry individual logos and designs.
The ground floor blockwork walls of the building were finished externally with StoRend Fibre Plus. This system uses a high quality fibrous levelling render which is embedded with a tough reinforcing glass fibre mesh that provides high anti-crack properties. This render has a dark grey colour which contrasts with the glass surfaces on the floor above, and will provide outstanding weather protection and long-lasting colour for the new theatre.
The Pavilions Teignmouth sits on the waterfront site of the previous Carlton Theatre. It has a flexible internal design and includes a 218-seat theatre which can be reconfigured as an events space for exhibitions and conferences. The building also incorporates various work hubs, a café, function bar, gallery space and a box office.