Context

Ashton Old Baths is a Grade II listed building which Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has transformed into a business hub and data centre; an idea for heritage sites which could be transferred to many other ‘at risk’ buildings.

The primary concern for the project was to create a sympathetic dialogue between the historic and the modern.

Requirement

Lang+Fulton was approached by the architect to provide an appropriate solution for a compound to surround and screen the unsightly sub-station, data centre generators, and cooling plant that were required to service the new complex.

Solution

Corten louvres, made from weathering steel, were selected to match the tonal qualities of the original red brick façade of the Victorian bath house and preserve the sensitive context of the site.

The Italia-Corten panels sit between an expressed steel framework, which was hot-dip galvanised before polyester powder coating in a dark grey to reference the regeneration of the site to the area's industrial past. The continuous structure creates 80% visual screening and the robust steel louvres provide excellent security.

The compound was supplied with double-leaf and tri-fold gates to provide the required access.