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Nearby the southern English town of Cobham, around 30 kilometres southwest of London, the new training and physiotherapy centre for the world-famous Chelsea FC football club has recently been completed. With its grass-covered roof, sweeping glass-paned façade and a protective cladding made from TECU® Brass, the building blends harmoniously with its surroundings. If design and equipment of the club's own training facilities have any influence on the performance in the English football league, then FC Chelsea have good reason to expect the championship title in the premiere league this coming season. With their design for the training centre in Cobham, AFL Architects in Manchester took on a formidable challenge and came up with an optimal solution that perfectly integrates the project into the greenbelt landscape of the greater London area. The new building looks almost as if it has always been a part of the club’s facilities. A look at the roof surface gives the impression that a strip of the surrounding lawn has been cut out and curled up high in an arch in order to accommodate the increased construction volume beneath it, bordered lengthwise by glass-paned façade grids. Protection from sun rays and overly curious on-lookers is accomplished by sidewalls in varying sizes and positions, attached to the façade and clad with TECU® Brass panels. Although Chelsea have always been proud of this building so befitting their grand reputation, the generous use of brass – initially in its most shimmering form – was not intended as a reference to the glitzy jewellery of footballers' wives: TECU® Brass was chosen for its lively surface which evolves into fascinating, earthy brown tones when exposed to the elements. The combination of the grass roof and the diaphanous glass panelling allows the building to harmonise perfectly with its premises. All of these advantages are lasting ones, as the proverbial longevity of brass promises an outstanding cost-value ratio with absolutely no maintenance required.  The use of TECU® Brass panels is especially dominant on the north façade. The glass in this area is almost entirely hidden by the brass-clad walls, which themselves conceal the side entrances for players, service personnel and the press. Only the main entrance and the upper floor with its large dining hall enjoy unimpeded exposure to light. In contrast, the vast unobstructed glass surface of the south façade allows for open views of the surroundings and the sweeping training facilities. An effective light shield for all floors is provided here by a row of vertical ”blinds” clad with TECU® Brass and set off from the façade at different angles, reaching from the roof all the way to the basement, where the indoor training and hydrotherapy facilities for the players are located. The single most important piece of therapy equipment on the lower floor is an ultra-modern HydroWorx pool for perfect analytical training of motion sequences – the club’s reputed secret weapon for optimal preparation of its top-notch footballers. The FC have some competition, however, from the north of England: One of their biggest rivals, Manchester United, have also acquired one of these much-praised training pools, albeit on a more humble scale. Object: Chelsea FC Academy, Training Centre in Cobham, UK Architecture: AFL Architects, Manchester Completion: July 2007 Façade material: TECU® Brass Manufacturer: KME Germany AG Copper contractor: Richardson Roofing Co. Ltd., Staines UK  |
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