Over 1,800 sq. meters of Kalzip aluminum standing seam panels and a similar quantity of Kalzip liner and decking sheets have been installed on Mansfield’s impressive new bus station and link-bridge. The Kalzip roofing sheets (PVF² 3-coat to Pearl Copper, RAL 8029) together with Kalzip planking for the soffits and an array of bespoke Kalzip aluminum fabrications (powder coated to RAL 8029) were all installed by Teamkal contractor, Met-Clad Contracts Ltd.
Designed by Nottinghamshire County Council’s in-house engineering and architectural teams, this state of the art bus station was built by Kier Construction. The Kalzip-covered main terminal building and its adjoining footbridge link neatly to the nearby railway station creating a convenient new integrated public transport interchange for the Mansfield area as well as contributing towards a package of improvements designed to deliver swifter, greener travel in Nottinghamshire.
Mansfield Bus Station’s light and airy airport style concourse has been achieved by the use of architectural steel columns located around the building’s perimeter that provide an abundance of open space internally which is further enhanced by large areas of floor-to-ceiling glazing. Varying in heights of up to 8 meters, these bespoke steel columns are intended to resemble the trees of the nearby Sherwood Forest - each trunk is topped with a splay of six tubular steel branches of differing lengths and angles to structurally support the “floating” Kalzip roof that gently curves and undulates in three directions.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s designers have created a contemporary building structure with a natural feel by using local Peak District stone to blend with the copper-colored Kalzip standing seam sheets used for the roofs of the main terminal building and 16 triangular departure bays. The same applies to the copper-colored aluminum Kalzip planking used for the soffits and all the complex aluminum flashings and fabrications that were designed and manufactured by Kalzip using the latest 3D CAD techniques.
Peter Horn, Nottinghamshire County Council’s project manager for the scheme said, “The roof’s appearance was always going to be a key feature of the bus station as it sits adjacent to the listed stone railway viaduct offering elevated views to passengers on passing trains. It was something we just had to get right and I’m pleased to say that the Kalzip roof looks excellent with the copper-colored effect working particularly well in the sunshine.”
Mansfield’s new bus terminal is a fully enclosed building that provides complete protection against the weather - and for customer safety, boarding is controlled by automatic doors that only open when the bus / coach is ready to accept passengers. The terminal boasts a café, shop, toilets and travel information center which, combined with comfortable seating, sustainable under floor heating, electronic information displays and 24-hour CCTV surveillance, provide a relaxed, functional and safe waiting environment.