5500/m2 of Optima TFC in solid Aluminum PPC and around 1000m2 of 2.0mm Aluminum 1050 Grade & 3.0mm Aluminum 1050 Grade have been used in the construction of Sheffield’s New Era Square, a £66 million residential development.
Set to be the city’s major new urban destination, New Era Square has been completed in two stages and consists of quality office space, apartments, a contemporary restaurant and retail units, and an 83-space underground car park.
As you can see from the project photos, a combination of green and grey shades has been used on the building. The intention was to create an effect that looked like the edge of glass. Most glass contains iron oxide as an impurity which gives the glass a slightly green hue, hence the colour selection. The colours selected were Axalta Ral: 5018, 5021 and 5020 with 85% gloss to give a reflective appearance.
The project attracted several multi-million-pound investors from China. To complete the project, a giant panda sculpture has been mounted on the rooftop corner.
The panda, a creation of David Wei of Hatch Architects (a UK-qualified architect renowned for producing visually inspiring art works for flagship Chinese developments), is a symbol of friendship and peace in Chinese culture. The four-meter installation is now visible to the public when approaching from the city Centre or on the ring road.
Quoted on the New Era Development web site, Bowmer + Kirkland’s Regional Director, Christian Parnell, commented: “The New Era Square scheme has been a major project for us since we started on site in November 2015. I’d like to think that the entire project team, including our client, have become friends and it is fitting, therefore, that the final part of the scheme is to lift the panda, symbol of friendship, onto the roof of the building. It has been a privilege to be involved with this development.”
The project signifies a huge boost in recent investment from China into the Sheffield City Region.
