Maple are installing a striking gold-coloured vertical fin façade to the new Greater Manchester Major Trauma Hospital at Salford Royal.
The façade follows the curved profile of the building, and has required a complex fixing system. While some of Maple’s Vector fins are attached to the building, others sit away from the walls to create an intriguing design feature.
Here, we used Maple’s lightweight Pluto rail system to attach the fins, along with vertical posts fixed to concrete foot pads to support the sub-structure.
The challenging façade and structure concepts were brought to life with 3D visualisation and design – a collaborative process involving architect, contractor and Maple that identified and resolved problems before work begun.
“There’s no substitute for our experience in this type of façade project, but designing in 3D from start to finish makes it all more collaborative,” said Maple’s 3D designer, Matt Helliwell.
Key to the design is the repurposing of Maple’s Pluto rail system, which is typically used as a lightweight and easy-to-install substructure for rooftop louvres.
The £68m project by BAM construction will feature a helipad on the roof, where Maple are also installing vertical fins.
