Jonathan Lowy of VMZinc tracks how zinc has played a key role in iconic buildings from Paris’ monuments to modern campuses and healthcare facilities – and how this durable and highly recyclable material is now culturally recognised by UNESCO.
Zinc is used on a very wide range of buildings. If you watched the 2024 Paris Olympics, you may have admired how many Parisian monuments were used as backdrops for many of the sporting venues. This automatically means that zinc roofs and ornaments were featured as part of these backdrops, whether it be the quays by the Seine river and grand boulevards of Paris, or the many zinc ornaments in the city, for example on the Grand Palais. Many of the reasons for choosing zinc on these buildings in the 19th century are still relevant today, such as availability of the metal, the technical advantages of the roofing systems, and the attractive aesthetic of the material.
Education and healthcare infrastructure generally requires buildings to be extremely durable while not requiring excessive maintenance. The BRE gives a service life for zinc roofs and walls of 100 years, and in the vast majority of cases no more maintenance is required other than clearing out gutters and the occasional inspection.
Looking back to 2010 when the Computer Science Building at the University of York was completed, BDP architects combined glazing, timber and pre-weathered zinc in three finishes using a rainscreen panel system. At about the same time Austin Smith Lord architects were restoring and extending Liverpool Central Library, a Grade II listed building that opened in 1879. After 132 years the original zinc roof on the Picton reading room was in need of replacement. A combination of tapered batten cap and standing seam panels in pre-weathered zinc were used to cover the elegant dome, and now the reading room should be protected from all of the elements – well into the 22nd century.
The project in York is quite contemporary whilst the Liverpool library is more traditional, but Niall McLaughlin’s 2022 Stirling Prize-winning project in Cambridge combines both. The New Library at Magdalene College replaces the old library, but is next to the Grade I listed 17th century Pepys Library, hence the need for a building that honours the site. The interior of the building creates various sized spaces allowing different forms of study. The exterior uses a combination of elegant brickwork and a gabled pre-weathered zinc standing seam warm roof system. The result of this fabulous project is a building that is designed to serve the university for the next 400 years.
Moving forward and into healthcare, Ripple Retreat is a purpose built sanctuary for children affected by cancer and their families. This tranquil space is connected to the surrounding nature; the roof reflects the ripples of the nearby Loch. The blue pre-weathered zinc standing seam panels not only beautifully follow the geometry of the roof but they also reflect the ever changing light. The building is also a model of sustainability, using a heat pump and natural ventilation.
Last but not least (and back to a very contemporary building), is the Space Park Leicester by Shepheard Epstein Hunter architects. The project is built on a former contaminated brownfield site but also alongside the Grade II listed Abbey Pumping Station, and creates a community of industry, academia and students driving world-leading research. The facade combines dark grey pre-weathered and lighter engraved zinc using various sizes and shapes of flat lock panels.
These projects not only demonstrate the incredible variety of finishes and systems that are available when using zinc roofs, facades and indeed rainwater systems but also the wide range of building typologies that can use zinc as a building envelope. In addition to the aesthetics, durability and recyclability is the certification that is available whether it be BBA system certificates for warm roof construction, or Brooft4 fire tests. Another aspect of zinc roofing that is critical is the installer network. Across the UK and Ireland almost 200 contractors regularly install zinc roofs and facades and are able to offer material warranties of up to 50 years.
Finally, at the end of 2024 zinc roofers and ornamentalists received cultural recognition from UNESCO. On 4 December 2024, in Asunción, Paraguay, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO added the ‘Know-how of Parisian zinc roofers and ornamentalists’ to the indicative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This craftsmanship, which originated in the 19th century, is passed down from generation to generation through roofing training centres in Paris, across France and other countries including the UK.
The material also aligns with projects that are looking to the future, contributing to the fight against climate change through the installation of insulation and the implementation of efficient air circulation systems. It is hoped that the UNESCO recognition will raise awareness of the professions of zinc roofers and ornamentalists, as well as inspire a new generation of craftspeople to embrace the material within the industry.
Jonathan Lowy is operational marketing manager at VMZinc