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BAE base designed via origami
The striking new entrance to a £25m pair of office blocks was inspired by a folded sticky note.
The designer behind the fighter jet-shaped gateway building into the offices housing hundreds of workers at BAE Systems' huge new aerospace business park in Samlesbury, near Preston, got the idea with a bit of origami with his stationery.
Architect Altaf Master was thinking of a "futuristic and dynamic" way to create the entrance as he fiddled with the notes on his desk.
Suddenly, he came up with the stealth bomber-looking shape which became the signature building passed by thousands of motorists on the A59 which runs past the site.
Mr Master, who works for master planners Capita Symonds, said: "I ended up coming up with this angular shape, but was working on another project so just left it.
"When I came back to look at it later, I thought 'I cannot design a building like this in such a simple way', but that is what we ended up with."
It is expected thousands of aerospace workers will flow through the gateway entrance over the next decade.
Ian Fleming, director at BAM Construction which built the 25m office complex, in less than three months bringing much-needed work to suppliers in Lancashire.
The firm is now starting work on the world's largest titanium milling facility which will make parts for the hundreds of F-35 Lightning II fighter jets which BAE is involved in making.
Mr Fleming said: "What is happening at Samlesbury is cutting edge, so we felt the entrance had to reflect that and we are delighted with the outcome."
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 3 C
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Wind direction: South east
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