Curtis Moore is proud to have delivered the installation of Proteus Copper Rainscreen cladding to the prestigious re-work of the Storyhouse in Chester, designed by Bennetts Associates.
We were delighted to be involved in the reinvigoration of the 1930’s Grade 2 listed Odeon Cinema building, involving multi award winning architects Bennetts Associates. Cheshire West and Chester Council had bold plans to deliver their innovative vision and we were honoured to have been appointed to partially clad it in Proteus HR TECU copper rainscreen. The project comprised of renovating old parts of the listed building whilst also adding new elements, without taking away from the splendour of the original structure itself.
Simon Erridge, Project Director at Bennetts Associates explained that the durability and natural beauty of the Proteus HR TECU copper cladding made it a top choice for the renovation.
“Proteus HR TECU cladding is used to clad the studio theatre and bar, which is expressed as an overhanging element on the skyline of the building. The flatness of the panels and the long-term beauty of the natural copper finish were key to this decision.”
As well as being visually striking, the copper cladding by Proteus also has many practical benefits. The structure of Proteus HR’s core provides maximum compression and resistance with minimal material. This means that lightweight, economical panels can be used, lessening the weight transferred to the main structure and cutting overall material requirements compared to traditional metal rainscreen panels.
We have been involved in a variety of work over the years, from minor jobs to large scale projects. However, this development in particular has been one of the most aesthetically outstanding. The rainscreen fins protrude outwards from the 150-seat theatre which sits on top of the main 800 seat auditorium. It creates an abstract and impressive visual on the busy Chester street which sits next to the city’s Town Hall and Cathedral.
The striking rugged form combined with the gleaming copper cladding creates a truly innovative, powerful and forward-thinking design. Not only visually outstanding, the Storyhouse now hosts a theatre, cinema and library, putting Chester on the map as home to the UK’s largest regional arts project and biggest capital development in 50 years. Curtis Moore is proud to have been involved in the making of this new chapter for the Storyhouse.