04 June 2009
Once a major player in developing the First World War tank, Lincoln is proud to unveil its latest tank… Think Tank, a new and inspiring building offering managed workspace to innovative businesses.
The £7.1 million complex boasts 21 offices and nine workspaces, along with conference and meeting facilities for hire. Its main focus is to nurture the culture of innovation and high skill levels within Lincoln and the surrounding area.
The heritage of the building is clear. It’s based at Brayford Enterprise Park, just behind Tritton Road, which has a rich history of industrial innovation. In 1896 James Dawson began manufacturing leather belting there and today supplies specialty hoses for the international commercial diesel engine market. In 1930 Ruston-Bucyrus began manufacturing dragline excavators with enormous buckets that you can still see in operation around the world today.
The site was also important as a testing ground for the original military tank prototype. The Tank is generally accepted to have been innovated by Sir William Ashbee Tritton and RNVR (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve) Lieutenant Walter G Wilson. The contract to develop the ‘mechanically propelled landship’ was awarded to Lincoln’s Foster & Co, The Chairman of Foster & Co was at the time William Tritton, and a room was set aside for him and Lieutenant Wilson to use as a drawing office in the White Hart Hotel. Today there is a brass plaque on the door of the Yarborough Room which states:
“In this room, in the month of September 1915 the idea of the first fighting tank was conceived by Mr W A Tritton and Major W G Wilson. As a result of strong advocacy of this weapon by Sir Albert Stern the first 200 tanks were designed and built in Lincoln (sic). They went into action in Flers on 15th September 1916.”
There are several different stories about how the landship became known as the ‘tank’. The most likely is that someone in the Foster & Co Foundry was heard calling it “that bloody tank”… and the rest is history!
While the tank was a hugely significant innovation, and an important part of Lincoln’s history, its future once again rests upon the ingenuity of its people – and their talent for invention and innovation will drive the continued economic success of our region.
The Think Tank complex was designed by Marks Barfield Architects, the designers of the spectacular London Eye. Their initial inspiration for the design of the building came from the incredible story of the Lincoln landships, with the aim of reflecting the site’s history of innovation in this new construction. And so Think Tank was born.
And it’s not just the name which reflects its historical inspiration. The building has staggered walls replicating tank tracks, whilst the main entrance elevation’s curves and rivets emulate a tank. One of the most dramatic elements of the design is its unique Rockpanel Chameleon cladding, which has an iridescent, camouflage effect, once again reminiscent of a tank. The building has the remarkable ability to change colour, from greens to bronzes, depending on which angle it is viewed from and the time of day.
Think Tank is not just an impressive looking building. It’s also being held up as a flagship of sustainable design: it has a low-carbon footprint and incorporates the latest environmental technologies and a high-tech specification (Wi-fi, video conferencing, VOIP etc). It’s heated by a ground-sourced heat pump system feeding underfloor heating circuits, providing 70% of the building’s heat energy; water is heated by solar power; and natural air ventilation uses mono draught units that are assisted by solar-power-driven fans to provide air movement. Additional cladding to north-facing facades is provided by natural larch from FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) sources. Internal wall decorations are eco-friendly, using water-based paints, and even the reception desk top is made from recycled carrier bags.
This project to nurture innovation in Lincolnshire is backed by the City of Lincoln Council, East Midlands Development Agency, Lincolnshire County Council, Lincolnshire Enterprise, Innovation Lincolnshire and the Objective 2 European Regional Development Fund.
For more information on locating your business within Think Tank, please contact Rob Smith or Tracey Footsoy 01522 873443.
For further information please contact: Caroline Ashman – Senior Communications Officer – 01522 873443 – (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Alternatively, contact Julian Havenhand or Rachel Shaw on 01522 522773.