James & Taylor's Shimmering Façade Reflects Glasgow's High-Tech Maternity Uni

Cladding specialists James & Taylor have created a shimmering, high-tech façade for Glasgow's new £17m maternity unit - reflecting its world-class status in a project involving the biggest ever single investment in Scottish health services.

The stunning finish to the new unit at the city's Southern General Hospital was created using five different acid-etched processes on Senses aluminium tiles with an anodized finish.

James & Taylor worked with architects Hypostyle to design a 'random/pattern to ensure the different finishes were distributed cohesively across the elevations. The company supplied 500m2 of their Senses aluminium rainscreen system together with 553m2 of their Alphaton terracotta Rainscreen system in Hellgrau (light grey) for the unit, which is part of the second phase of a massive modernisation programme by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.


Hypostyle took their inspiration from an existing façade created by James & Taylor.

Jim McFadden of Hypostyle said: "We had a look at Manchester University's Michael Smith building, where James & Taylor had created a similar finish - and we liked what we saw.

"The tiles create a subtle texturised finish giving variation to the façade, rather than the monoblock effect of other aluminium panels. James & Taylor have been extremely helpful throughout the process, from initial design right through to the finishing of the façade on site."

Colin Henderson of James & Taylor siad: "We were delighted to be asked to work with the architects on this highly individualized and stunning façade. It adds spirit and life to a building that will be important to the surrounding community for many years to come."

The new maternity unit includes a fetal medicine unit, operating theatres, purpose built labour unit, a neonatal intensive care unit and a special care baby unit.

(GK/JM)