Client: Leicester Theatre Trust and Leicester City Council
Architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects
Contractor: Bovis Lend Lease
Type of works: supply and installation of Kingspan Insulation's Thermataper roofing system.
Kingspan Insulation has supplied over 3,600m2 of its high performance Thermataper roofing system for Leicesters new £61m theatre complex, Curve.
Dubbed the inside out theatre, Curves ground-breaking design allows normally hidden production, construction, craft and technical backstage areas to be seen from outside the building, creating what Artistic Director, Paul Kerryson calls, a more democratic theatre.
Not on show, but no less cutting-edge, Thermataper TT46 LPC/FM - a combined drainage and insulation solution from Kingspan Insulation was used for the buildings flat roof; providing integral roof falls to prevent water ponding (one of the greatest detriments to flat roofing) and some of the best U-values available.
The easy-to-install system is suitable for use with all weatherproofing membranes (TT46 being designed specifically for use under PVC singleply mechanically fixed roofing membranes); and is supplied pre-mitred as standard through Kingspans Tapered Roofing Service, to vastly reduce on-site waste, installation time and labour costs.
Thermataper boards are highly durable yet extremely lightweight, and can deliver good results where load-bearing is an issue. With a cantilevered flat roof and 1,000 ton latticed steel and glass façade, supported by only four concrete pillars, Curves design was conceived to allow uninterrupted vistas into the heart of the building from the pavement outside.
The new theatre complex is the work of internationally renowned Rafael Viñoly Architects in their first completed UK building, and is expected to be an anchor for the redevelopment of the St. Georges Conservation Area in which it sits. The project is the result of a close collaboration between the design team, Leicester Theatre Trust and Leicester City Council, with Bovis Lend Lease as main contractor.
Kingspan Insulation offers an extensive range of insulation solutions for both new build and refurbishment projects. Specifiers, stockists and contractors are supported with a comprehensive and free technical advisory service.
Photograph by Will Pryce.