Higher than a double-decker bus – brise soleil fins at Midlands uni could be Maple’s biggest

Maple have completed the installation of some of their largest ever brise soleil fins at the University of Leicester.

The 11 vertical blades on the refurbished Percy Gee Building are 10m high and 1m deep. They weigh 85kg each and required internal stiffening ribs, as well as specially designed thermal-break brackets to prevent the transfer of heat from the outside in.

And yet the giant blades are not the first thing visitors see...

Maple have also manufactured and installed more that 200 other fins on every side of the four-storey building, which has been given a new lease of life in a £17m project by architects Shepheard Epstein Hunter.

The anodised fins, from our Vector range, protect the building from glare and solar gain, and make being inside more comfortable for students, staff and visitors.

The various fins combine with striking effect. Less obvious is an extruded steel mesh rooftop plant screen, but it has also been manufactured using Maple’s attention to detail to align with the architect’s vision.

The Percy Gee Building is home of the university’s students’ union and incorporates new and improved facilities, including learning spaces, retail units, a restaurant and a 2,000 capacity music venue.