The Cummins Engine Factory Including Chimney

The Cummins Engine Factory, including its chimney, is a former engine factory built between 1964 and 1965. It was designed by Kevin Roche, John Dinkerloo and Associates. The factory features a structural frame made of exposed Cor-ten steel, which has weathered to a brown color, and is complemented by grey-brown tinted glass that is fixed with neoprene gaskets. The building is single storey and rectangular in plan, with office and workshop areas separated by a service core. It has a flat roof and floor-to-ceiling glazing, with each vertical panel divided into five horizontal lights. The structural steel frame consists of 'I' beams that extend beyond the glazing, creating a continuous surface behind the frame. A projecting steel 'cornice' is present, and at the intersections with vertical members, the jutting beam-ends of the roof supports are expressed. The central entrance on the left side features two pairs of fully glazed doors, each pair occupying one bay of glazing. To the left of the front elevation stands a tall rectangular chimney made of Cor-ten steel, positioned slightly in front of the elevation. The interior retains original internal partitions of brown-painted steel and glass, along with original strip lighting arranged in rows. The roof structure is designed to allow services to be run between the main structural beams and the roof deck. This building is notable for being the first in Britain to use Cor-ten steel and the first large-scale use of neoprene gaskets in a building.