Clarice Pears

Cladding the building with unique artwork

The exterior of the £50m Clarice Pears building is clad with a unique artwork from two Glasgow-based artists - Scott and Shona Watson of SW&CO. The building sits on the site of the former Western Infirmary in Glasgow’s West End, and the artwork imprints this location and its history on the new building through a motif based on the shape of Glasgow.

It represents connectivity, community and environment and has been applied directly on the anodised aluminium panels, making it easily visible from its prominent position on the junction of Byres Road and University Place.

The red colour was perhaps chosen to reflect the red sandstone used to construct many of Glasgow’s historic tenement buildings, one of which was home to the project’s namesake, Clarice Pears, and her family in the 1930s. It’s a historic touch and brings the building closer to the local community – enabled by the ability to create an appropriately coloured finish using anodised aluminium.

Sustainability prioritised across the building

The design of the Clarice Pears building prioritised sustainability in all aspects. Low and zero-carbon technologies were implemented throughout to ensure that the project’s embodied carbon and emissions in operation were kept to a minimum – resulting in an EPC ‘A’ and BREEAM ‘Excellent’ ratings on completion.

The anodised aluminium façade plays a key role in helping the building operate sustainably across its lifecycle. Firstly, the anodised aluminium is highly recyclable through simple remelting and will be easy to reuse following the end of the building’s lifespan.

Second, the anodised finish is extremely durable and will not need replacing due to corrosion, abrasion or the effects of UV. It is also A1 fire rated and cannot combust or contribute to a fire at any stage, keeping the building safer and reducing the chances of damage occurring to its structure.

Working as part of an overall system, our anodised aluminium façade contributes to ensuring the building can be sustainable in operation for the long-term, and minimises the potential impact of the building on the environment at the end of its life.

Victoria Watts, Sales director at United Anodisers, said: “Working on such a unique project was a great opportunity to show what we can do. Collaborating with the artists from an early stage to help realise their vision was an interesting challenge and a good demonstration of how we work in true partnership with other parties to create exceptional and unique façades.”

Want to learn more about what you can achieve with an anodised aluminium façade finish? See our other projects here and contact the team today. 

‍