As the centrepiece of the ‘Heart of Slough’ £450m regeneration scheme, the Curve houses a premier library and cultural centre. The new space also includes a café, museum, performance venue and learning rooms, and safe external spaces surrounding the building for all to enjoy.
Slough Borough Council
Architect
Bblur Architecture
Contractor
Morgan Sindall
Quantity Surveyor
Gardiner & Theobald
With the architectural intent clear, we were engaged by the team to work up a detailed design to match the intent within the tight parameters of the LABV cost plan.
The complex geometry required the design of a bespoke cladding system to the North, East and West elevations, where the building is curved on plan and in the vertical section. At the successful conclusion of the design phase, we then moved ahead to take responsibility for the detailed design and delivery of the full building envelope.
Programme and methodology have been vital to the whole approach and were the major drivers throughout the design process.
The roof was created using a steel liner sheet before a standing seam system was installed that turned over into the vertical plane down the south elevation into the service yard. On the North elevation, the curved cladding was broken up by strips of vertically facetted curtain walling and with an inclined ‘eyebrow’ screen at the base, it had its own set of challenges. Within the roofing system, rainwater goods and the management of water discharge required co-ordination with the M&E design, to take the water transfer back inside the building. The interface zone between the more conventional standing seam and bespoke cladding system was a critical focus to ensure integrity of weather and performance lines – which were all designed and co-ordinated by our internal team of designers.
Further scope including fire-rated elements to the party wall zones, internal acoustic plant rooms and an air ventilation system linked to the BMS, meant close collaboration was required with the key subcontractors and consultants to achieve the required building performance.











