rain bow gate
rain bow gate
after the rain comes the rainbow,
burnley is whole again
RIBA Award 2013
RIBA North West Small Project of the Year 2013
Burnley was the first place in the UK to record its rainfall. Pivotal to its industrial past, the rain filled the rivers, the rivers powered the first mills, the moist air kept the cotton supple for weaving. After the decline of the mills, the Burnley region developed into a centre for precision engineering and advanced manufacturing.
Constructed from flat, laser-cut, 3mm steel sheets. The geometrically strong and ultra-light structure minimises weight and wastage, demonstrating the Shell Lace Structure’s principles, pioneered by Tonkin Liu and engineers at Arup. With beams of sunlight, 133 glass prism inserts cast rainbow-coloured light, whilst projecting coloured light into the mist at night. Rain Bow Gate embraces cutting-edge digital design, engineering, and fabrication tools, appropriately sited here in front of a sixth form college in Burnley, the centre of excellence in advanced manufacturing.
The bow of a rainbow is the most simple and dynamic natural geometry, structurally efficient due to its curvature. The pioneering structural principles of Shell Lace Structure now sit in front of the college in Burnley, where future designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs are nurtured. After the rain comes the rainbow, a fitting symbol for optimism, regeneration and learning in Burnley.
Three gateways welcome people from three directions, where three routes coverage in front of a college, creating a gathering place. The three perforate arches fuse to form a covered space that responds to the ever-changing weather. The 133 prism inserts in the perforations project a spectrum of rainbow coloured light. At night, light shines through the prism to cast rainbow coloured light onto the mist. Rain Bow Gate is a gateway into Burnley, and a place to gather and experience the dappled, rainbow coloured, ever-changing light.
client burnley borough council
location burnley, UK
status 2012
structural engineer arup
fabricator mike smith studio
budget £121,000