Maple’s rainscreen cladding provides homage to Oldham’s mill heritage.
Maple’s work on the new extension at The Royal Oldham Hospital has been completed. Two kinds of rainscreen cladding now feature on all elevations of the new development as well as around an internal courtyard.
The aluminium panels which clad the north, west and south elevations are a combination of terracotta tile rainscreen and aluminium rainscreen. Both materials have their share of advantages, although aluminium has proven itself to be the frequent favourite thanks to its durability and flexible design possibilities. To learn more about the properties of aluminium versus terracotta, take a look at our Knowledge Centre article.
The choice of terracotta panels stems from Oldham’s rich mill history and the aluminium panels have been powder-coated ‘Tanami Sable’ to reflect this and complement the red brick aesthetic of the existing hospital.
The installation of grey composite panels onto the east elevation brought about logistical issues such as access difficulties. To overcome this, the team employed modern methods of construction by splitting the panels and reassembling them during installation.
The panels attached to the internal courtyard are powder-coated white to maximise light and add a sense of variation from the predominantly red terracotta feel of the hospital.
The Royal Oldham Hospital marks the latest large-scale rainscreen cladding project for Maple with our largest rainscreen project, University of West England, completed in March.