Science Gallery

Science Gallery

THE CHALLENGE

The requirements for the Science Gallery presented several challenges in that there was aesthetics to cater for, a budget to meet, and the essential durability for public use.
Several metres of external balustrade were wanted in antique brass to compliment the £12m refurbishment of the world renown Science Gallery.
Durability was essential for continued use as well as adding a unique bespoke finish which wasn’t out of budget

THE SOLUTION

Working with the architect on the detail, Bradleys were able to offer what was needed.
The balustrades were fabricated in mild steel for durability and then prior to the unique finishing, corrosion protection was given using the Bradleys Q-Zinc 25 year system.
The uniqueness was then born out of doing a dual finish on the prefabricated balustrade.

To explain this further, the upright supports were finished in Bradley’s renown BR0508 Textured Charcoal. Then following precision masking, the handrails were completed in Metalite Brass before being patinated and waxed accordingly.

So out of a fully fabricated balustrade, Bradleys finishes were used to create, durability, budget friendly and definitely a unique dual-finish to the Science Gallery.

THE DETAIL

Located in Boland House a Grade II listed building from the Georgian era, the Science Gallery is well situated on a prestigious site opposite London Bridge and at the foot of the Shard. Being of international interest in strengthens the research values of Kings College London, and the recent developments have unlocked the full potential of the site. As well as café and shop space the area can also be used for multiple events such as lecture, performance theatre and events internal and external.

With an exceptional internal public courtyard taken back from car park use and an opening up of the frontage, the architect has really taken the complexities of working in a listed building and turned them into a well-balanced functional design. Bradleys were able to bring to the surface of various elements, finishes which provided instant historical value to assist in retaining the ancient landmark in a re-imagined modern way.