Elmhurst Ballet School

Project Details

Architect:
Weightman & Bullen

Main Contractor:
Mowlem Building

Installer:
Unique Industrial Roofing

Products:
Standing Seam Roof Cladding, Spacer Support System

At its new five acre Greenfield site in Edgbaston, Elmhurst – the UK’s oldest dance school – features a purpose-built complex, complete with new academic facilities, a 240 seat studio theatre, seven large dance studios, an exercise centre, a theatre workshop and on-site boarding accommodation for up to 120 pupils. 5000m2 of Ash & Lacy’s Standing seam roofing provides a fitting finish for a significant addition to Birmingham’s architectural landscape. The Alaska grey finish of the 0.9mm aluminium standing seam panels provides a striking contrast to the building’s traditional brickwork. On two of the complex’s blocks, straight panels were installed, but the use of different combinations of straight and tapered sheets, the latter in varying widths, on the North and South wings, demonstrates the versatility of Standing Seam in creating specific shapes. A ‘crescent’ shaped roof provides a dramatic feature for the building’s entrance, complete with overhangs to offer shelter to side stairwells, while a different configuration of straight and tapered sheets was also used to create a ‘dagger’ shaped roof structure.