The cladding material is white opaque glass which was chosen because its surface reacts well to changing light conditions and it can withstand the harshness of the marine environment particularly in the winter months. A cantilevered balcony over the ground floor gallery allows visitors to enjoy spectacular views out to sea.
Various different high strength mixes of concrete had been specified by the main contractor and were used to great effect in ground floor slabs, ring beams and external walls. In addition to the gallery space there is a shop and a café with panoramic views of the town and the bay.
“It had to be a building that balanced architectural merit with function and flexibility as an exhibition space, and one that ideally made use of the legendary natural light.” Victoria Pomery, Director, Turner Contemporary
The building was completed with sustainability and the environment in mind and achieved a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’.
Once occupied the building has many features which help reduce environmental impact including: responsive/zonal lighting, thermal zoning, the provision of renewable energy through a ground source heat pump to supplement gas boilers, responsive lighting with zoning to allow separate controls and thereby control energy consumption, and water limiters in all sanitary facilities.