Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall, University of Essex in Colchester, United Kingdom

August 02, 2010 Category: Education, Public Buildings

Designed by Patel Taylor, Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall, University of Essex, Located in Colchester, United Kingdom, this new Lecture hall completed at the end of 2006 is the latest shining touch to the University of Essex Campus. Sitting within the central part of the campus, the new oval shaped building surprises and shines with its unusual design and the material mix of stainless steel and glass. The building, one of the largest lecture halls of any UK higher education institution, will provide the university with an academic lecture and theatre facility with a seating capacity of 1,000 people. As a venue, the facilities can be subdivided into two independent parts, enabling the University to organise and host exhibitions, conferences and other examinations.

About the construction itself, the Lecture Hall is sited on a sloping area, sitting on a grid of concrete ground beams supported off piles. The structure of the building is formed of in situ concrete. The roof is being supported by a combination of laminated timber and steel beams. On the internal side of the building, the walls are built with a mix of concrete, block work and partition walls, forming an acoustic barrier for the main auditorium.

Initially imagined to be covered with copper, the building features UGIBRIGHT stainless steel cladding. UGIBRIGHT, a high reflective stainless steel chosen by the architects for its aesthetic aspect, gives a specific “signature” to the building itself. Traditional interlocking shingles used as a cladding solution, UGIBRIGHT reflects its surroundings whilst playing with the light, a true chameleon.

Traditionally used by sub-contractors, the shingle technique perfectly forms the oval shape of the building. Easy to install, the shingles dimensions here are 2000 mm x 450 mm.

Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall, University of Essex Design Architechture Plan