The 8mm Natura panels were used on the ground level and upstairs balcony areas. The frontage is contemporary in design and features an exposed steel frame construction.
The designer was keen to retain as many of the original architectural features on the old sandstone-constructed rear of the building as possible, whilst creating a striking and modern frontage of steel, glass and Natura cladding. The building itself is one of the largest in Burnley town centre and dates back several hundred years. The completed development now offers a stunning mix of old and new architectural styles.
Andrew Harding-Hill, from Blue Bird Design, the architects on this project, explains: “The building is located in the historic Weavers Triangle in the town centre conservation area and we therefore had to choose the materials carefully. Working with the planning authorities, we chose Natura because it created a striking and contemporary addition to the front of this stunning building.”
Natura cladding has a tactile, smooth surface, which allows the natural variation of the coloured fibre cement to be seen through the semi-transparent, pigmented coating. Anthracite was chosen as the colour for the Natura cladding on this project because it created an appealing contrast to the original sandstone material at the rear of the building.
Natura panels were preferred by contractors on this site because of their strength, lightweight nature and durability. They particularly liked the fact that the panels could be easily cut on site because many walls on The Mix, due to its age, are far from straight or plumb and few corners were perfect 90 degree angles. Natura, when supplied in anthracite finish, is a through-coloured product, which ensures that any cuts, which don’t require specialist cutting tools, are completely invisible.
Charlotte Hughes, Campaign Manager - Cladding & Profiled Sheeting at Marley Eternit, explains: “We are delighted that our Natura fibre cement board provided the solution for this stunning development. It shows that the product is well suited to both new build and refurbishment projects.”
The Mix opened in Autumn 2008 and is currently serving upmarket food and drink to office workers and visitors to the town centre.