Commanding dramatic coastal views, ‘Clifftops’ comprises five new luxury lodges, designed by London architecture studio Morrow + Lorraine. Its spectacular site on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast. It sits directly above a Site of Special Scientific Interest between Bow and Arrow Castle, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and the Grade II Listed Pennsylvania Castle.
The architects’ response to this particularly sensitive location was to set the building into the cliff – apparently hewn from the ground, rather than built upon it – enabling the Pennsylvania Castle grounds to flow over and reduce its visual impact. The lodges are separated by stone walls which run through the development, like groin walls on a beach, each rotating 3 degrees from the next and stepping back randomly away from the cliff.
The walls are constructed of large, rough-cleaved blocks of the renowned Portland stone quarried a short distance from the site, anchoring the architecture to its locality and yielding a low carbon footprint. Linking the groin walls, each lodges’ façade, roof and detailing around windows are clad in Nordic Standard ‘mill finish’ copper without any additional surface treatments. Project architect Frank Gilks commented: ‘Copper was selected for the cladding as it is suitably robust for the harsh marine environment but it will also blend in well with the heavily vegetated surroundings and complement the local stone’.
Contemporary Copper Interventions
The copper and generous glazing give the impression of thoroughly contemporary interventions to an intriguing historic stone ruin. Together, the Nordic Copper and Portland stone create a timeless, high quality building sitting naturally in its environment. Towards the craggy cliff edge architecture and landscaping become even more informal and irregular, with coastal wildflower planting blending with the indigenous flora.
Internally, the lodges are defined by light-filled spaces with expansive sea views. The Portland stone groin walls continue inside on the same plane but are more refined, with smooth cut surfaces revealing the strata of the beds of stone as if they were still in the ground, exposing ancient fossilised sea creatures. Oak joinery and wall panelling add warmth, and joinery frames are carefully detailed to minimise interruption of the flow between inside and out.
Ancient and Modern Copper
Although one of our oldest building coverings, copper is today viewed as a thoroughly modern architectural material. Its unique characteristics are defined by a naturally developing patina, which provides impressive protection against corrosion and can repair itself if damaged, giving exceptional durability, sustainability and maintenance-free longevity.
Within a few days of exposure to the atmosphere, a copper surface begins to oxidise, changing from the ‘bright’ mill finish to a chestnut brown, which gradually darkens to a chocolate brown. Over the years with continued weathering, the distinctive green/blue patina seen on older roofs can eventually result. This is particularly likely in exposed locations with the patina, taking on more of a blue hue in marine environments. More information on the evolution of copper surfaces in different environments can be found at: www.nordiccopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Surface-Evolution.pdf
Natural Processes
Whether needed for refurbishment or new contemporary architecture, the Aurubis ‘Nordic Copper’ range can provide all these surfaces straightaway. The processes involved are generally similar to those taking place over time in the environment, utilising copper mineral compounds, not alien chemical processes. All these surfaces form an integral part of the copper, generally continuing to change over time, and are not lifeless coatings or paint. The material is easily bent and formed, and there are no limitations on the length of copper sheet or strip because whole coils are treated on the production line, not just limited size sheets.
The Nordic Copper range includes Nordic Standard ‘mill finish’, as used at Clifftops, and Nordic Brown pre-oxidised copper, offering lighter or darker shades of brown determined by the thickness of the oxide layer. The extensive Nordic Blue, Nordic Green and new Nordic Turquoise ranges have been developed with properties and colours based on the same brochantite mineralogy found in natural patinas all over the world. As well as the solid patina colours, ‘Living’ surfaces are available for each with other intensities of patina flecks revealing some of the dark oxidised background material.
Copper Alloys
But copper alloys are growing in popularity as well including Nordic Bronze and Nordic Brass – which can also be supplied pre-weathered. The innovative Nordic Royal is an alloy of copper with aluminium and zinc, giving it a rich golden through-colour and making it very stable. It has a thin protective oxide layer containing all three alloy elements when produced. As a result, the surface retains its golden colour and simply loses some of its sheen over time, as the oxide layer thickens with exposure to the atmosphere to give a matt finish.
For more information visit: www.nordiccopper.com
