A fascinating piece of history is set to stand tall in the future thanks to an innovative collaboration between business and academia in the East Midlands.

Nottingham-based Trent Concrete Ltd and the University of Derby teamed up to successfully reproduce a unique Victorian lace pattern in concrete panels, which are being used to construct the landmark Nottingham Contemporary arts centre in the heart of the city centre.

And the eye-catching piece of work has seen the joint project nominated for a prestigious Lord Stafford Award, which seeks to celebrate initiatives between companies and universities.

Trent Concrete, which employs 130 people and is based in Colwick, Nottingham, was awarded the £500,000 contract to work on the construction of the modern Nottingham Contemporary building.

But the firm was handed the unique challenge of precasting in concrete the lace pattern that had been discovered in an 1847 time capsule. This was found during the building of a new supermarket in the historic Lace Market area of the city.

Trent Concrete worked with design specialists at the University to come up with a solution for getting the pattern on to the panels. Initially, a giant replica of the bobbin lace was going to be made by hand in the traditional way and then used to make a negative mould. 

However, it was soon realised that taking the lace back out of the mould would destroy the upper section of the mould.

But one of the experts from the university came up with the novel idea of making the mould based on 3D scans of the original Victorian lace and then using this digital information to recreate with lasers the complex pattern for the formliner of the concrete panels. 

This has been successfully completed and the finished arts centre is to be opened to the public later this year.

Robert Hall, Works Manager at Trent Concrete, said: "Nottingham Contemporary was a very special challenge. The creators of the new arts centre wanted to find a way to incorporate an intricate pattern - based on a sample of Victorian lace - to add the defining touch to this stylish new building.

"Design specialists at the University of Derby worked closely with Trent and the architects, Caruso St John, to use lasers to replicate the pattern in a master formliner. This was then used to create durable rubber mats placed in our shuttering moulds to cast the highly detailed precast units, some weighing as heavy as 11 tonnes.

"The external cladding will show the world Trent's ability to create astounding works of art that can truly inspire anyone who sees them and the company is proud of their contribution in their own city centre."

The collaboration with the University of Derby has also helped form new partnerships and Trent is looking forward to future projects where the collaborative and innovative approach can yield equally impressive results.

"The company feels very proud to be nominated for the Lord Stafford Awards. Being part of the competition has generated excitement throughout the company and winning would bring well deserved recognition for the skills and hard work of all of Trent Concrete's dedicated employees," added Robert.

John Angus, Director of Textile Studies at the University of Derby, said: "The University recently opened the £21m Sir Richard Branson Centre for Innovation & Design, which houses the Faculty of Arts Design & Technology. This project is the perfect expression of the underlying philosophy of this investment, which is to realise the potential of harnessing hybrid technologies and creativity in the support and development of 21st Century industries.

"Providing innovative solutions for the development of bespoke architectural surfaces is a new business development for the University and the association with this high visibility project is a priceless shop window.

"Among University staff there is a great sense of honour for getting through to the finals of the Lord Stafford Awards. These are particularly valued as in many ways they parallel precisely one of the core values of the University - Challenge and Innovation."

Backed by the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA), MAS East Midlands, the East Midlands Universities Association and Lincolnshire County Council, the Lord Stafford Awards are designed to celebrate and recognise innovative collaborations between business and universities.

The winners of the awards, which cover 'Innovation Achieved', 'Innovation in Development' and 'Innovation in Sustainability', will be announced at a high-profile finale on September 10th at the Epic Centre in Lincolnshire.

Other sponsors for the event include Ceramic Decals, CFE Ltd, Clever Cherry, Connect Midlands, Enterprise Europe Network and Swindell and Pearson.