Magna Science Adventure Centre
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Entry is via the former concasting bay. Templeborough Works is typical of its breed
Tim Soar (website) Download Original
Transformation of a redundant steelworks into a cultural centre to house a series of pavilions showcasing steel production
Wilkinson Eyre architects and exhibition designers Event Communications developed the Magna Centre in 2001, introducing exhibits that bridge science and art, such as Ned Kahn's fire tornado, 'The Big Melt' and works by San Francisco 'artist in electricity' Cork Marcheschi.
The design concept placed four pavilions – earth, wind, fire and water – within the 400m long, 35m high main shed, connected by steel bridges and walkways.
Each pavilion is designed to relate to its theme in a poetic way. The earth pavilion, for example, is located in the basement below the
round slab while the air pavilion is designed as a huge dirigible airship which seemingly floats in the space.
Meanwhile the fire pavilion is a matt black box containing a tornado of flame, and the water pavilion is enclosed by an coolly-lit wave formed from steel.
Data
- Begun: Aug 1998
- Completed: Apr 2001
- Sectors: Education, Sports and leisure
- Total cost: £43M
- Funding: Private
- Procurement: Construction Management
- Address: Sheffield Road, Templeborough, Rotherham, S60 1DX, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Wilkinson Eyre Architects
- Project architects: Chris Wilkinson, Marc Barron
- Client: The Magna Trust
- Services engineer: Fulcrum Consulting/ WW
- Exhibition designer: Event Communications
- Quantity surveyor: Deacon & Jones
- Services engineer: Mott MacDonald
- Lighting design: Spiers & Major
- Main contractor: Schal International Management Ltd
- Specification writer: Schumann Smith
Suppliers
- Concrete aggregates: Steelphalt
- Air pavilion: Vector Foiltec
- Architectural metalwork: Adey Steel
- Glazing: Bennett Architectural Aluminium Solutions Ltd
- Landscape architect: Brambledown Landscape Services Ltd
- Steelwork: Billington Structures Ltd