Cembonit cladding from specialists Cembrit, has been used at a new performing arts centre at a school in London. Creating a modern addition to the current campus, the building looks striking yet complements the rest of the school.

Acland Burghley School needed an upgraded dance and music facility and the specification was to create a building that fulfilled several functions. It had to act as a separate two-storey facility with two main dance studios floating above a plinth housing the music facilities. It had to connect to and complement existing buildings. This was achieved with the construction of a bridge between the new and existing parts of the school. Approximately 130 Cembonit cladding panels were used to create the contemporary exterior of the new building. A striking combination of sand coloured panels with an orange border were used to great effect around the windows.

“We are very pleased with the look that has been achieved by using the cladding from Cembrit and with the end result of the project as a whole” says Andy Gollifer, of Gollifer Langston, the architect for the project. “The panels adapted well to the different scales and shapes of both the changing and sports facility and the larger volume of the performing arts space. By using cladding rather than some of the more traditional building products available we are able to create individual buildings without lengthy on-site build times. We will certainly be considering Cembrit cladding for future projects.”

Cembonit cladding has been specially designed for external cladding, semi-exposed and internal lining applications. It is produced from cement, sand, cellulose, wollastonite and sodium silicate and impregnated with an aqueous, hydrophobic liquid, which provides the sheets with a water and dirt repellent surface. Cembonit is a strong, durable and lightweight product and is an attractive, cost-effective and maintenance-free Class 0 cladding panel, ideal for a variety of decorative cladding applications.

Using skills built up over 80 years, Cembrit offers a wide range of cladding panels, corrugated sheet and natural and man-made roofing slate. Quality levels at group factories are rigorously maintained to high standards with many products manufactured under the control of ISO 9001 and British Board of Agrément. Cembrit UK is a member of Cembrit Holding A/S (formerly the Dansk Eternit Holding A/S) of Denmark, one of Europe’s major building material producers of fibre reinforced cement products for the roofing and cladding industry. The ultimate parent company FL Smith this year celebrates its 125 year anniversary.