Copr Bay Apartments

Location

Swansea

Main contractor

Buckingham Group

Architects

AFL Architects

Products

Corium Brick Cladding

Overview

The Copr Bay Apartments in Swansea feature a colourful and striking brick cladding facade, designed by AFL Architects. The 33-unit apartment building forms part of a larger £1b regeneration masterplan of Swansea by the local council.

Taylor Maxwell supplied Corium brick cladding tiles (manufactured by Wienerberger), in six colours to the site, which were installed by Buckingham Group in a smooth transitional gradient. This unique facade design is intended to animate the streetscape and offer a visually pleasing experience, both day and night.

Concept to completion

Given the architects’ desire for an eye-catching facade, it was important to them that the right material was chosen. The material needed to offer a range of colours and easy installation so that the intricate design didn’t result in a lengthy installation process. This was something that Corium brick cladding was able to offer, with the tiles easily clipped into place on the steel backing sections behind.

As well as quick installation, the material needed to be able to offer a wide range of colour options. Corium is available in over 2,500 tile finishes, with an extensive range of colours and textures available. This meant the architects were easily able to select a glazed finish on the tiles and could choose the specific colours that they desired to include on the facade. The glazed finish helped to create the smooth rippling of colour across the building envelope, resulting in a truly unique visual experience and stand-out facade within the streetscape.

Completed in 2022, the apartment building is located close to the city centre and across the road from the new Swansea Arena, with some of the apartments boasting views over the bay and coastline. The homes are all designated as affordable and are targeted at residents who work in the city centre, especially key workers.