Stirling Prize shortlisted
The Windermere Jetty Museum was recently shortlisted for the 2021 RIBA Stirling Prize, having already won an RIBA National Award and the RIBA North West Building of the Year Award. The museum is unified and defined by facades and oversailing roofs clad in Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper, further developing naturally over time and responding to the unique lakeside context.
It is seen and approached from all sides, from land and water, and from a number of points of elevation. Roofs and walls therefore assume equally important status in the formal composition. Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper is used as the determining material to give architectural consistency to these elements and to the museum buildings working together as a cohesive whole. The copper is folded and pinned with a regular pattern of brass fixings to give the elevations a unique texture, which is further reinforced by the patina gained by weathering over time.
Exceptional Performance Naturally
Nordic Brown is part of an extensive range of architectural copper surfaces and alloys with an unrivalled lifespan, no maintenance and full recyclability. With a melting point of 1083˚C and ‘A1 (non-combustible material)’ fire classification to EN 13501-1, copper is suitable for cladding tall buildings, using appropriate constructions.
As well as Nordic Standard ‘mill finish’ copper, the extensive Nordic Copper range also includes Nordic Brown with the same oxidised brown surface that otherwise develops over time in the environment. The thickness of the oxide layer determines the colour of the surface finish, with darker or lighter (Nordic Brown Light) shades of brown.
Living Copper Surfaces
Nordic Blue, Nordic Green and Nordic Turquoise pre-patinated surfaces have been developed with properties and colours based on the same brochantite mineralogy found in natural patinas all over the world. As well as the solid patina colours, ‘Living’ surfaces are available for each colour with other intensities of patina flecks revealing some of the dark oxidised background material.
Copper alloys are growing in popularity as well, including Nordic Bronze and Nordic Brass – which can also be supplied pre-weathered. The innovative Nordic Royal is an alloy of copper with aluminium and zinc, giving it a rich golden through-colour and making it very stable.
Best Building in Scotland
Finally, the award-winning Aberdeen Art Gallery has just been named winner of the 2021 Andrew Doolan ‘Best Building in Scotland’ Award. The rejuvenated, listed complex is crowned by a striking contemporary rooftop extension clad in Nordic Brown Light.
The Nordic Brown Light copper rooftop extension contains a suite of environmentally controlled temporary galleries, as well as much-needed learning and event spaces, providing bold new interiors. The extension was designed as a sculptural element, responding to the proportions and colours of the existing granite frontages.
It is defined by vertical, scalloped panels – including some perforated for transparency – of Nordic Brown Light pre-oxidised copper. It is a thoroughly contemporary design but sharing materiality with the buildings’ classical copper dome. Repairs to the dome itself were carried out using Nordic Green pre-patinated copper, complementing the existing historic patination.
Inspirational Copper Stories
A growing series of on-line ‘copper stories’ exemplify the best in contemporary architecture and showcase the diversity of surfaces, forms and applications available with Nordic Copper today.
