Stirling Prize Finalist

Szerelmey were delighted to find out recently that the recently completed Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre, Worcester College, Oxford has made it to the final 6 buildings shortlisted for the Stirling Prize! We are now waiting with fingers crossed until the winner is announced on October 10^th. We worked with Niall McLaughlin Architects, whom we have worked with on a number of buildings in the past, to deliver the Clipsham limestone clad building and surrounding hard landscaping. We carried out the design, supply and installation of all of the stonework, internally and externally as well as the secondary supporting structures.

The large building is clad in Clipsham stone consisting of ashlar blocks of 300 x 600 x 75mm and imposing stone fins. Very large blocks of Clipsham were used to form the quoin corners and fin details to the front facade, which faces onto the college cricket pitch. This was a complicated build, particularly due to the size of the ashlar blocks and significantly due to the design of the radiating fins. The building is designed along a footplate similar to a “Spanish fan” or wedge shape and incorporates a large number of fins that radiate both externally and internally, and therefore had to be perfectly aligned. Further complication was added through the design of the undulating GRC ceiling, to which the fins also had to align. At ground floor level there are 18 fins at 6m high and at roof level there are 28 radiating fins at 5m high, all handset on site, supported on steel work and restrained back at the top and bottom.

Szerelmey installed two carved Portland basebed stone crests to the exterior of the building, one reflecting the Worcester College crest and the Sultan of Perak’s crest. A further stone plaque was carved and installed in the interior that bears the Sultan of Perak’s crest and the crest of the Prince of Wales.