As part of the ongoing regeneration of Slough town centre, Barnshaws Section Benders has provided curved steel to support The Curve, the new cultural and learning centre: a project delivered by Slough Urban Renewal on behalf of Slough Borough Council. The steel forms part of the building’s façade, which delivers a truly modern aesthetic, intended to uplift the local area. As a result, the building has been awarded ‘Development of the Year 2017’ at the Thames Valley Property Awards.

The new steel framed structure is 90m long and includes a floor space of 4,500m2, which houses a café, museum, library, offices, exhibition space and a 280 seat auditorium. Each elevation features cantilevers, or, a glazed curving façade, a characteristic which was enabled by Barnshaws Section Benders expertise. The Tividale based metal bending and fabrication expert was contacted to assist in the project due to a proven track record of providing similar solutions for landmark building projects, such as the Francis Crick Institute in London and the Oval cricket ground living wall.

Precision curved steel is opening up new opportunities to architects and contractors, allowing new buildings to move on from the boxy structures that defined building design during the late 20th century. Businesses such as Barnshaws offer highly specialised machinery and an expert workforce to deliver CE marked curved steel sections to almost any radii, a service which defines the aesthetic of The Curve. These sections are now taking their place in new buildings all over the UK, offering residents facilities that raise the profile of the local area.

Designed by CZWG and completed by Morgan Sindall and Caunton Engineering at a cost of £16.5 million during September 2016, the building now acts as a vibrant community hub, featuring sustainable technologies such as photovoltaic roof panels and a low energy ventilation system. Reception of the building has been overwhelmingly positive, with the industry now recognising the buildings ground breaking design.

Greg North, Commercial Director at Barnshaws added: “At Barnshaws we gather great experience in delivering specialised curved sections for landmark building projects, utilising our capacity and unique service offering to meet complex architectural challenges and achieve deadlines. We also offer aluminium louvres as part of our façade expertise, so we are ready to service almost any structure with high quality fabrications.”