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Zinc bridges old and new on Stockport campus
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Austin Smith Lord’s design of the £100m Stockport College campus redevelopment has seen the use of 8,000m2 of VMZINC flat lock zinc tiles, together with interlocking and sine wave horizontal panels. Work on the former St. Thomas’ Hospital site and the retention, restoration and creative re-use of some of the most architecturally and historically significant former Victorian Workhouse buildings will ultimately create a collegiate quarter.
The redevelopment scheme will see the workhouse transformed into staff accommodation and a welcome centre. New workshops back directly onto the A6, so the choice of high quality cladding materials, including glass and zinc, was driven by the desire to create a landmark for the College.
The architect has utilised ANTHRA (black) VMZINC on all facades and the different styles of VMZINC panels break up the visual impact within a uniform overall style. The combination has enabled a frontage to be created which will enable the Motor Vehicle and Motor Cycle departments to be visible from the A6.
The workhouse yielded a string of historic artefacts in the course of construction including children’s shoes, a diet regime board for ‘inmates’, marbles, clay pipes, walking sticks, plates, Christmas cards, newspapers dating from 1889 and even hair samples. Most were in remarkably good condition and looked as though they had remained untouched for well over a century.
