The Stirling Prize judges describe it as:[1] The roof is the dominant feature of the building: The building has a 'three-domed' sinusoidal-shaped gridshell roof of two layers of interlocking larch laths[3] (50 × 80 mm) on a one-metre square grid, supported on steel quadropods and a steel tubular ring-beam.

The exact form of the roof was designed by Buro Happold to be the most structurally efficient possible using specialist in-house software (Tensyl).

The roof is over 90 m in length and up to 25 m wide, and because of its own separate structural system appears to hover over the brick and glass facade of the building.

The entrance facade is covered by an extensive green roof, which is planted with Microbiota decussata and Juniperus squamata.

The exterior cladding of the building is a full-height glass curtain walling system, providing views from inside and creating an unusual lighting effect in the dark.