Magna, a Millennium funded science adventure centre, is housed within the former Templeborough steel works between Sheffield and Rotherham. These ‘supersheds’ are 350m long and rise to a height of 40m in parts, with a structure sized to carry several 250t capacity cranes. Magna uses this backdrop to explore the science behind the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water – the basic components of the steelmaking process. The building itself addresses the subject in two ways: firstly, it offers an opportunity to physically explore the redundant shell of the former steelworks with its retained artefacts, and secondly, it demonstrates the versatility of steel construction with a variety of steel structural and cladding systems.
Richard Mason, BEng (Hons), CEng, MICE
Connell Mott MacDonald Ltd, Spring Bank House, 33 Stamford Street, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 1ES
Marc Barron, BA Hons, MA(RCA), ARB, RIBA
Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Transworld House, 100 City Road, London EC1Y 2BP