Imposing in size but well-integrated in its environment, the Newhaven Energy Recovery Facility on quite a difficult terrain, along the Ouse river, wedged between heterogeneous industrial buildings and residential areas, along a regional park.
The building is partially buried and emerges from the ground only 27 m high out of the 45 m required for the waste treatment process that is carried out over 200 m in length.
All that can be seen has been softened, rounded, curved to visually blur the building and reduce the impact on the environment. The building exterior is designed in three parts, which correspond to different stages of waste treatment.
On one side, the waste is received under a steel cladding, whereas at the other end an apse in porous textile covers the cooling elements. Between the two, a huge Danpalon® hall covers the processing pit and the heart of the system. During the day, light enters and lights up the installations. At night, the continuous activity of the building is gently enhanced with minimal light pollution.
In slightly cloudy weather, the milky appearance of the cladding allows it to almost merge with the sky, thus minimizing the visual impact of the imposing building. It was a difficult architectural choice to have made transparent what is usually opaque, and curve what is usually square. A choice that has had a positive effect as this treatment center has not been subject to the usual controversies that these kinds of projects are generally known to face.
DETAILS OF THE PROJECT:
Name of the Project: Newhaven Energy Recovery Facility, UK
Applications: Facade + Skylight
Systems: Danpal Facade System + Danpal Roofing System
Thickness: 16mm, 1040mm
Colors: Clear Softlite
Company: Soprema
Architects : Jean Robert MAZAUD, S’pace
Installer: Lakesmere (UK)
Copyright: © S’PACE SA