Inmos microprocessor factory
Encyclopedia
The Inmos microprocessor factory, also known as the Inmos factory, is a building in Newport
, Wales
, UK
which was originally built as a microprocessor
fabrication plant for Inmos
and is now occupied by International Rectifier
. The architects of the award-winning high-tech
building were the Richard Rogers Partnership
. Construction began in 1980 and was completed by 1982. The factory was the first building to be designed by Richard Rogers
in Wales. Later, he would design the Senedd
building in Cardiff
, which is the debating chamber for the National Assembly for Wales
.
in Paris
and the Lloyd's building
in London
. The main contractor for the construction of the building was Laing Construction
, the structural engineers were Anthony Hunt Associates, the services engineers were YRM Engineers and the quantity surveyors were GA Hanscomb Partnership.
The technical requirements were that it would house controlled conditions for the production of electronic microchips
, a service area for various offices and a staff canteen, all under one roof. The Inmos factory was designed to be a model factory that could be constructed in a variety of locations. The speed of the design process and construction time of the building were critical. The 8900 square metre single-storey building was designed to be fabricated off-site, and assembled on the Newport site.
The building is divided into clean and "dirty" areas. The cleanroom
being for microchip production and the dirty area for all others services in the building. The building has a central spine which is 7.2 metres (24 ft) wide and 106 m (348 ft) from which all the services and production area emanates from eight bays with the potential to increase this to 20 bays. Suspended beams span 40m from the central spine with masts along the length of the building allowing for a post-free area, and so providing a flexible interior and the possibility of large work areas. Reyner Banham
, the architectural critic and writer, said of the Inmos factory that it was "the first really challenging building of the 1980s."
had taken over Inmos. Thorn EMI later sold Inmos to SGS-Thomson Microelectronics NV
in March 1989, Newport Wafer-Fab Limited became a subsidiary of Inmos International Ltd (which was part of SGS-Thomson Microelectronics NV). 70% of Newport Wafer-Fab was sold to QPL International Holdings Ltd in 1992, with the remaining 30% being purchased in 1995. A management buyout took over the factory in 1999, renaming the business, European Semiconductor Manufacturing Limited. In March 2002, the factory was sold to International Rectifier
Company (GB) Limited, who are the present day owners of the site.
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
which was originally built as a microprocessor
Microprocessor
A microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computer's central processing unit on a single integrated circuit, or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and...
fabrication plant for Inmos
INMOS
Inmos Limited was a British semiconductor company, founded by Iann Barron, with both the head office and the design office at Aztec West in Bristol, it was incorporated in November 1978.- Products :...
and is now occupied by International Rectifier
International Rectifier
International Rectifier Corp. is a manufacturer of power semiconductors , located in El Segundo, California, USA...
. The architects of the award-winning high-tech
High-Tech Architecture
High-tech architecture, also known as Late Modernism or Structural Expressionism, is an architectural style that emerged in the 1970s, incorporating elements of high-tech industry and technology into building design. High-tech architecture appeared as a revamped modernism, an extension of those...
building were the Richard Rogers Partnership
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners is a British architectural firm. Established in 2007, it was previously known as the Richard Rogers Partnership....
. Construction began in 1980 and was completed by 1982. The factory was the first building to be designed by Richard Rogers
Richard Rogers
Richard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside CH Kt FRIBA FCSD is a British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs....
in Wales. Later, he would design the Senedd
Senedd
The Senedd , also known as the National Assembly building, houses the debating chamber and three committee rooms for the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff. The Senedd building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006 and the total cost was £69.6 million, which included £49.7M in...
building in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, which is the debating chamber for the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
.
Design and construction
Inmos Ltd commissioned the Richard Rogers Partnership, now known as Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, to design its UK microprocessor manufacturing facility at Newport. The design criteria was for a fast construction, so that it was ready for operation within one year of starting. Richard Rogers until then was known for designing the Centre PompidouCentre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and the Lloyd's building
Lloyd's building
The Lloyd's building is the home of the insurance institution Lloyd's of London, and is located at 1, Lime Street, in the City of London, England.-Design:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The main contractor for the construction of the building was Laing Construction
Laing O'Rourke
Laing O'Rourke is a multinational construction company headquartered in Dartford, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1978....
, the structural engineers were Anthony Hunt Associates, the services engineers were YRM Engineers and the quantity surveyors were GA Hanscomb Partnership.
The technical requirements were that it would house controlled conditions for the production of electronic microchips
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
, a service area for various offices and a staff canteen, all under one roof. The Inmos factory was designed to be a model factory that could be constructed in a variety of locations. The speed of the design process and construction time of the building were critical. The 8900 square metre single-storey building was designed to be fabricated off-site, and assembled on the Newport site.
The building is divided into clean and "dirty" areas. The cleanroom
Cleanroom
A cleanroom is an environment, typically used in manufacturing or scientific research, that has a low level of environmental pollutants such as dust, airborne microbes, aerosol particles and chemical vapors. More accurately, a cleanroom has a controlled level of contamination that is specified by...
being for microchip production and the dirty area for all others services in the building. The building has a central spine which is 7.2 metres (24 ft) wide and 106 m (348 ft) from which all the services and production area emanates from eight bays with the potential to increase this to 20 bays. Suspended beams span 40m from the central spine with masts along the length of the building allowing for a post-free area, and so providing a flexible interior and the possibility of large work areas. Reyner Banham
Reyner Banham
Peter Reyner Banham was a prolific architectural critic and writer best known for his 1960 theoretical treatise Theory and Design in the First Machine Age and for his 1971 book Los Angeles: The Architecture of Four Ecologies...
, the architectural critic and writer, said of the Inmos factory that it was "the first really challenging building of the 1980s."
Usage
Although the building was commissioned by Inmos for their use, by July 1984 Thorn EMIThorn EMI
Thorn EMI was a major British company involved in consumer electronics, music, defence and retail. Created in October 1979 when Thorn Electrical Industries merged with EMI, it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but it demerged again in...
had taken over Inmos. Thorn EMI later sold Inmos to SGS-Thomson Microelectronics NV
STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics is an Italian-French electronics and semiconductor manufacturer headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.While STMicroelectronics corporate headquarters and the headquarters for EMEA region are based in Geneva, the holding company, STMicroelectronics N.V. is registered in Amsterdam,...
in March 1989, Newport Wafer-Fab Limited became a subsidiary of Inmos International Ltd (which was part of SGS-Thomson Microelectronics NV). 70% of Newport Wafer-Fab was sold to QPL International Holdings Ltd in 1992, with the remaining 30% being purchased in 1995. A management buyout took over the factory in 1999, renaming the business, European Semiconductor Manufacturing Limited. In March 2002, the factory was sold to International Rectifier
International Rectifier
International Rectifier Corp. is a manufacturer of power semiconductors , located in El Segundo, California, USA...
Company (GB) Limited, who are the present day owners of the site.
Awards
- Structural Steel Design Award 1982
- Eurostructpress Award 1983
- Financial TimesFinancial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
Architecture at Work Award Commendation 1983 - Constructa-Preis for Overall Excellence in the Field of Architecture 1986