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Beaufort aluminium doors and windows in a powder blue finish are completing the clean, contemporary look of Enclave, a striking new development by Furlong Homes in Tring, Hertfordshire. With its durability, slim sightlines and low maintenance aluminium is especially suited to new build apartment blocks like Enclave.
The
110 high performance windows and 30 French doors for this prestige project
were fabricated by Quantum Windows of Corby using Beaufort’s 70mm aluminium
system. Installation on site was undertaken by Suffolk-based Portico GB
Ltd. The developers selected tilt before turn windows from Beaufort’s
extensive range, which achieved 400pa (pascals) for air and water resistance
and up to 2400pa (pascals) for wind loading in BS 6375 weather rating tests.
The tilt and turn design is particularly popular for multi-storey developments like Enclave, enabling easy cleaning from the interior of the building, while also satisfying the latest emergency escape regulations. The new windows are all internally glazed to comply with security requirements at ground floor level as well as offering the added benefit of reglazing at upper levels without the need for scaffolding and hoists.
The use of 28mm sealed units incorporating 4mm toughened Low E glazing ensure full compliance with thermal efficiency standards. Indeed, all windows and doors in Beaufort’s aluminium product range comply with the stringent requirements of Document L in both dwelling and non-dwelling applications.
The specification of a powder blue finish for doors and windows at Enclave also posed no problem for Beaufort. Alongside stock colours of white, silver, brown, black and black outside with white inside, the company offers a special colour supply service that allows fast supply of any RAL colour in small and large batch runs. The high gloss finish is resistant to the pollution and grime that can discolour many other types of frames and requires only minimal maintenance.
Quantum Windows operates from three sites in Corby and offers an extensive range of high quality doors and windows in both aluminium and PVCu. According to Colin Lee, the company’s Sales and Marketing Manager, demand for aluminium systems, particularly for specialist applications, is increasing. ‘The market is definitely growing and in response we’ve decided to make the Beaufort aluminium system part of our standard range so that we can maximise that potential.’
Tel: 01633 29 40 40
Web: http://www.beaufortsecure.co.uk
Clear
Protection for Spinnaker Tower
People
watching the construction of the centrepiece of the regeneration of Portsmouth
Harbour are being kept safe through the use of Brett
Martin’s Marlon FSX Longlife polycarbonate.
Contractor Mowlem plc is building the 170m high Spinnaker Tower for Portsmouth
City Council, as the focal point of the Gunwharf Quays development. Designed
by Scott Wilson, the tower’s steel, concrete and composite A-frame
reflects its maritime location.
To enable the public to see its progress, yet ensure their safety in close
proximity to a construction site and limit impact of the build on the
adjacent Gunwharf Quays shopping centre, Mowlem commissioned 3m high polycarbonate
screening to be erected round the boundary line, remaining in place until
project completion at the end of May 2005.
Righton’s Portsmouth Service Centre pre-drilled and fabricated 10mm
thick sheets of 2050mm x 3050mm clear Marlon FSX Longlife polycarbonate
so it could be easily bolted into place once on site. Rectangular hollow
section steel posts were filled with concrete and bolted to the promenade
slab, to which the Marlon FSX Longlife was fixed.
Architect
for the project John Tubman said, 'The Spinnaker Tower team has a duty
to protect the public in line with Health & Safety legislation, but
with a project of this scale there is a desire among the public to see
what is going on. Polycarbonate gave us the transparency required, and
the impact resistance needed to provide protection from all the risks
inherent in a building site.'
At half the weight of standard glass, Marlon FSX Longlife reduces structural
support requirements and therefore costs, yet is virtually unbreakable
with an impact strength up to 200 times that of standard glass. The material
features co-extruded UV protection on both sides of the sheet, which not
only cuts out 98% of harmful UV but also offers a guarantee of continued
performance in prolonged outdoor exposure.
Tel:
028 9084 9999
Email: mailto:mail@brettmartin.com
Web: http://www.brettmartin.com
Luxury
Riverside Development Features Celuform Fascia and Cladding
New
luxury riverside apartments in Southampton feature PVC-ue fascia and cladding
from Celuform. The KingsOak Homes
property at Clausentum Quay, Bitterne, is a stunning development of 73
two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments on the banks of the River Itchen,
close to the centre of Southampton, many with balconies and river views.
The Celuform Conquest fascia and Open V-Joint Hollow Section cladding
have been specified for the unusual three-dimensional gables that are
a feature of the site.
Conquest is a 19mm square-edged board with fixed groove and return leg
and it will accept horizontal or inclined soffit boards. Rainwater systems
can be fixed directly to the fascia without needing timber support. It
is available in widths ranging from 150mm to 400mm.
The cladding is a rigid PVCu, hollow-chambered system, with open V-jointing,
available in two widths, 100mm or 300mm. A comprehensive range of edge,
corner and joint trims ensures a neat and complete finishing.
Tel: 01622 719199
Web: http://www.celuform.co.uk
Hidsons
Car Showroom gets a Glass Face Lift
With
competition in the car sales industry stiff, Nigel Hidson, owner of Hidsons
Car Sales, knows that getting potential customers through his showroom
doors is half the battle. He wanted Hidsons Car Sales to stand out amongst
competitors and chose two Ultraframe
portal conservatories to give his showrooms a major selling point.
Nigel
explained: 'With so many new models on the market, and even more ways
to buy a vehicle, car showrooms are having to work increasingly hard to
compete and get customers through their doors. With this in mind we wanted
to transform our showrooms to draw in more potential customers and we
turned to Kent Trade Frames to install two stylish portal conservatories.'
Kent Trade Frames based in Sittingbourne, worked with experts from the
Ultraframe Portals Division to design and install the two tailor made
conservatory extensions on Hidsons’ car showrooms.
Colin Smith, Sales Installation Manager at Kent Trade Frames, said: 'The
car showrooms were a challenging project for us. They were our first large
commercial installation so we needed a conservatory roof manufacturer
whose experience, expertise and product we trusted. We have exclusively
fabricated and installed Ultraframe roofing systems for 14 years and have
always been impressed by the level of service they offer. When we approached
Ultraframe, the Portals team responded superbly. Throughout the project,
we had complete faith that Ultraframe could deliver on every aspect of
the job, from surveying and drawing to on site technical support.'
The
first installation, at Hidsons’ Rainham branch, involved expanding
the existing showroom into a elegant conservatory front that runs the
length of the 29 metre long building. The installation at the new Northfleet
showroom was even more impressive. A 25m by 22m L-shaped independent conservatory
structure was installed to transform a dark and dingy industrial unit
into a sleek, contemporary showroom flooded with light.
Colin continued: 'The final result is really impressive. We were confident
that Ultraframe would design the highest quality roof to fit our brief
and we were really impressed at how the whole job ran so smoothly.'
Nigel Hidson commented: 'The new conservatory extensions have totally
transformed our showrooms, not just in terms of providing lots of extra
space, but because of the contemporary and airy feel that they provide.
They also help us to really stand out amongst our competitors. Our showrooms
are different and more attractive than those of other dealerships who
have standard, unattractive flat display windows. We are getting a great
response from both our staff and customers and the conservatories mean
that we are literally showing our cars in the best light possible!'
Nick Booth, Portals Sales Manager at Ultraframe, said: 'The Hidsons car
showrooms really show the diversity of what we can fabricate and how much
we can tailor designs to suit and blend in with existing structures. We
carried out numerous site visits and produced detailed drawings before
fabricating the roofs. Then we advised Kent Trade Frames on its first
portal installation. The company's fitting team was incredibly skilled
and efficient and the installation was perfect. Kent Trade Frames now
has two great portal projects to begin its commercial portfolio.'
The car showrooms have been great flagship portal style conservatory projects
for Kent Trade Frames and are proof of the company's ability to compete
in the commercial market, as well as the domestic sector that they have
traditionally catered for. Colin Smith said: 'Portals is an aspect of
our business we are keen to develop. I’m confident that by continuing
to work with the Ultraframe Portals Team and the high quality products
they offer we can cover this market and will see a great deal of future
success in commercial projects.'
Kent Trade Frames is a dynamic family business established 14 years ago.
It has recently added its own installation building and is investing heavily
in new equipment to expand this area of the business. It has an excellent
reputation for customer service and professionalism and claims that 95%
of its work comes through recommendations.
For more information on Kent Trade Frames please call 01795 431600.
Pilkington
Raises the Glass Ceiling
A
stunning new heated glass link-way has been constructed at the £20.4
million Northern Rock Bank’s Head Office extension in Gosforth, Newcastle
upon Tyne, using a range of innovative glass products from Pilkington
Architectural.
Aimed
at centralising the bank’s administration in the North East, this
eye-catching structure links four three-storey blocks around a central
core creating a unified circulation zone.
Designed by Redbox Architects, the link-way’s 750m2 glazed barrel
roof required a material that could perform structurally by meeting the
stringent loading criteria, and perform environmentally by offering effective
insulating properties, whilst still providing an aesthetically pleasing
solution. To meet these demanding requirements Redbox specified the use
of the Pilkington Planar™ structural glass system, the world market
leader for bolted glass systems. Pillkington Planar™ structural glass
systems can provide a complete glass envelope for building structures
without the need for conventional frames or mullions.
Engineered by Pendant Aluminium in conjunction with Pilkington Architectural,
the outer pane of the double glazed units used 12mm Pilkington Optifloat™
T Plus with a white screen-printed surface. This satisfied the important
aesthetic requirements of the project as it allowed a passage of white
diffused light to flood into the structure.
The inner pane comprised of a 14mm laminated glass composite of 6mm heat
strengthened Pilkington K Glass™, an interlayer and a layer of 6mm
Pilkington Optifloat™ heat strengthened glass, which was specified
to meet the necessary U-value and load bearing requirements of the project.
Working within extremely confined conditions on-site called for several
creative installation solutions owing to the enclosed nature of the project
location. The challenges were overcome as engineers from Pendant Aluminium
and Pilkington worked closely together. The design stage was critical
and this time was spent overcoming key technical issues such as the substantial
movement between different sections of the supporting steel structure.
Paul Roberts from Pendant Aluminium commented: 'The creation of this fantastic
glazed 'street' at the core of this development is a demonstration of
the adaptability and functionality of the Pilkington Planar‘ structural
glazing system. The attractive white screen surface not only allows for
the passage of diffused light but also provides the required level of
solar shading, creating an exciting use of space.'
Web: http://www.pilkington.com
Premier
Joinery Reaches New Heights with Ultraframe
When
Premier Joinery and Remedial Services
was asked to install a challenging, four-storey high conservatory the
company chose roofing system manufacturer and designer Ultraframe
to help it fulfil the brief.
Premier
Joinery and Remedial Services, based in Oldham, was given the demanding
job of building an L-shaped lantern roof conservatory over the walled
courtyard area of a newly built, stylish penthouse in Manchester.
Noel Mahon, Managing Director at Premier Joinery and Remedial Services,
said: 'The whole courtyard attached to the penthouse had to be enclosed
under an L-shaped conservatory which meant the fitting had to be absolutely
perfect. Added to this was the fact that we would be working 40 feet up
in the air! We were definitely faced with one of our most difficult installations
to date.'
The job required a high quality product that could be easily constructed
on site which is why Premier Joinery and Remedial Services chose to install
a bespoke Ultraframe Victorian roof.
The key advantage of using the Ultraframe Victorian Roofing system is
its flexibility to cope with any roof design and configuration. The system
offers a complete range of polycarbonate or glazed options and a wide
choice of tailoring options.
Noel continued: 'The space available to install the roof was really tight
and we needed a conservatory roof system that was straightforward to install.
The Ultraframe Victorian roof is a strong but lightweight roof. When installing
the roof, we were very impressed by Ultraframe‚s attention to detail
in design and quality. The roof fitted perfectly making the on site installation
a dream!'
The roof was supplied by Specialised Conservatory Systems in Preston.
Dave Thomas, Partner at Specialised, commented: 'It's not often you get
a job like this. A lantern shape roof of this size is quite unusual and
due to the length of the portal frame and guttering, a 40ft crane was
used to lift the roof on to the fourth floor. It was an amazing feat of
engineering all round.'
Dave continued: 'We were asked to construct a sleek conservatory extension
in keeping with the contemporary design of the penthouse. The Ultraframe
roof features modern styling, which has proven to be perfect for this
job.'
Owner Jeff Fry is delighted with the end result: 'I already have an Ultraframe
roof on the conservatory at my restaurant and I have been extremely pleased
with the quality and finish. I am looking forward to enjoying the extra
space and fantastic sky views afforded by my conservatory at home.'
Premier Joinery and Remedial Services has been established 10 years.
Throughout this time the company has always used and recommended Ultraframe
roofing systems, installing on average one to two conservatories each
week.
Specialised Conservatory Systems in Preston has developed into the largest
Ultraframe conservatory roof fabricator in the North West of England,
with a capacity to fabricate over 50 conservatory roofs per week.
HansenGlass
Handles Robertson Street Requirements
More
than 2000 sqm of high specification insulating glass units have been supplied
by HansenGlass Ltd for the construction
of a prestigious commercial office building in the heart of Glasgow.
The
Production Manager for Systems Aluminium Mr Gordon McIntyre, comments:
‘We awarded the contract for the supply of our insulating glass units
and other glass requirements to HansenGlass, not only because we have
had past experience of working with the manufacturer, and because of the
price, but also because the company was able to supply the larger pane
sizes that other companies couldn’t.’
Systems Aluminium Limited was the specialist contractor which undertook
a £1.2 million package for the design, manufacture and installation
of all the curtain walling and cladding.
As a regular customer of HansenGlass, Systems Aluminium called on the
glazing specialist to supply its ThermoCool™ insulating glass units
for the main elevations to the eight storey building.
HansenGlass also supplied some 500 square metres of its Ceramalite™
enamelled units. These feature a cactus green finish and are employed
as spandrel panels to mask the floor slabs and service areas.HansenGlass
coordinated its deliveries with the site team so that the units could
be lifted directly from the lorry for glazing at the appropriate floor
level. Such logistical considerations being of vital importance for congested
city centre sites.
Each ThermoCool™ unit incorporated a green tinted outer pane to provide
solar control, while the inner leaf utilised a low E glass. Together the
special glasses making up the units optimise the thermal performance of
the building envelope in both summer and winter.
Contact: Graham Chung
Tel: 0151 545 3000
Email: mailto:sales@hansenglass.co.uk
Emplas
Inline Sliding Patio Doors are on the Right Track for Cornish Signalmen
Signalmen
operating a series of independent railway signal boxes in Cornwall will
be feeling the cold far less this winter thanks to the installation of
new PVC-u inline sliding patio doors manufactured by Emplas
Window Systems and fitted by Kingswood 1980 Ltd. The new doors
were specially made as miniature versions with 28mm sealed units to fit
the signal boxes, many of which date back to the late 19th Century. The
doors also feature Georgian grilles to match the style of the buildings’
original windows.
Installer
Kingswood 1980 Ltd of South Brent near Exeter was appointed by Dean and
Dyball Rail – a separate trading division of construction and civil
engineering contractor Dean and Dyball Limited – to find the best
window and door solutions for a Railtrack contract to refurbish old signal
boxes throughout Cornwall. Having been a customer of Emplas for a number
of years, Dennis Crown of Kingswood consulted the company, which suggested
using miniature in-line sliding patio doors to both improve thermal and
acoustic insulation and act as a stronger security measure.
The Emplas inline sliding doors were fitted on seven independent signal
boxes throughout Cornwall along what was once the Great Western Railway
main line and which now marks the route from Paddington to Penzance. Located
at St. Erth, Roskear, Goon Barrow, St. Blazey, Par, Lost Withial and Truro,
all the signal boxes are live and fully man-operated, with many still
featuring the original pull levers used in the late 1800s.
Mark Nicholls, Contracts Supervisor for Dean and Dyball Rail, says that
the new doors have made a significant difference:
‘Many of these signal boxes are based in very isolated or exposed
areas - Goon Barrow, in particular, is a very windswept site and used
to get extremely uncomfortable in cold weather. The signalmen treat these
boxes almost as second homes and they often have to work in intense, busy
situations, so it was important to us to find solutions that would make
their lives easier. The Emplas doors were perfect because they offered
a significant upgrade in insulation and security whilst also closely resembling
the timber sliding sash doors originally fitted to the boxes. This complemented
the new insulation we had already fitted to the roofs and walls of the
boxes. Kingswood did a great job and we are really pleased with the outcome.’
Dennis Crown of Kingswood says that, although the job posed a few difficulties,
it was gratifying to see the finished results:
‘This was a very unusual application, and not just in terms of the
type of building – there were time constraints with having to work
according to rail timetables and we had to be very careful to ensure we
could get work done between train arrivals! But the doors really are the
ideal replacement for the old timber sliding sashes and they look superb.
I’m sure all the train-spotters that frequent the area will be impressed
too!’
The success of the project has led to Emplas inline sliding patio doors
being fitted by Kingswood on a further signal box refurbishment project
at Puxton and Worle near Weston Super Mare.
Tel:
01933 674880
Email: mailto:info@emplas.co.uk
Caption: The Emplas inline sliding doors were fitted by Kingswood 1980
Limited on various signal boxes throughout Cornwall along what was once
the Great Western Railway main line and which now marks the route from
Paddington to Penzance. Many of these signal boxes date back to the late
19th Century.
Holmes
Place - The Home of Innovative Design with Vanceva
A
recent collaboration at Mayfair’s Holmes Place Health and Fitness
Club in London between Solutia’s
Vanceva PVB interlayers, Saint-Gobain Solaglas
and Optima Architectural Glass has
created an example of UK design and technical expertise. The combined
mastery of the three organisations has triumphed in the unlikely setting
of a basement gym.
Holmes
Place – a company which manages and owns a number of health and fitness
clubs throughout the UK - acquired a basement site in Mayfair and employed
ORMS Architects to develop the design. The club, known as Holmes Place
Mayfair, already boasts the fastest selling club membership and is the
busiest Holmes Place in the chain.
The architect Oliver Cotton at ORMS advised that the design intent was
to provide a cool feeling to the environment in this basement site which
included the installation of an underground swimming pool, gym, dance
studios and treatment areas.
The original colours for the gym screens and wall cladding were blue to
complement the blonde stone being used and to provide a cool ambience
in these areas. Optima Architectural Glass was instructed to design and
install all the glass within the club including the blue glass around
the gym areas and the company turned to Solaglas for assistance in matching
the colour and translucency of these screens. The major hurdle was to
achieve an opaque yet translucent appearance which was achieved using
laminated glass with one of the Vanceva blue colour options.
Indeed, Solutia has responded to the emerging design tendency to push
the demands of glass to the absolute limit and to the renaissance of colour
by developing the Vanceva range of coloured interlayers. The Vanceva range
of interlayers from Solutia comprises 10 base colours. Thanks to the partnership
with Solutia, Saint-Gobain Solaglas has immediate access to the full range
of Vanceva interlayers, enabling the company to manufacture over 1,000
combinations of SGG STADIP COLOR within the frequently demanding lead-times
of the market so customers can benefit from the versatility of the product.
In the case of Holmes Place, the client was very pleased with the result
of the Vanceva screens and felt the design objectives were successfully
achieved.
Customers, and in particular, architects and designers, are inherently
looking for new building products to enable them constantly to add freshness
and give new directions to their designs. However, they also need to be
sure that innovation will stand the test of time. Vanceva is standard
pvb (which has been used in laminated glass in buildings for over 60 years)
with colour stable pigments so this is a particularly interesting and
versatile new product. Through working closely with customers across the
full spectrum of the market, Solutia has identified the significant requirement
for a glass product that offers great flexibility in terms of colour,
appearance, size, weight, performance and ready availability for a multitude
of applications from furniture through to specialist architectural applications.
http://www.vanceva.com/design
is an on-line studio for designers to experiment with Vanceva colours.
Free Vanceva samples are available from the site.
A
two-storey Rochdale nightclub has been given a new lease of life thanks
to the installation of Décor ceiling panels, manufactured by Deceuninck.
The panels were supplied by Deceuninck approved stockist, MB Distribution,
which provides a full Décor range from the company’s premises
in Middlesborough.
The Décor range of ceiling panels were specified to complement
the club’s new contemporary interior design due to the choice of
finishes and colour options. Furthermore, the panels are robust and hard
wearing with low maintenance requirements making them a good choice for
such heavy traffic areas.
Having looked at the full range of Décor panelling, Mark Foxley,
Company Director of Vimtrim Leisure selected the Verena style in a soft
grey tint, which is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. Furthermore,
the grooveless panelling offers a seamless connection between the profiles
ensuring a flush finish to both the walls and ceilings.
Mark Foxley explained the reasons for choosing the Décor range
for the refurbishment programme.
‘The nightclub, ‘Honey’, is a modern, vibrant premises
and we needed a functional but contemporary panel that complemented our
new interior design. The choice offered by MB Distribution was excellent
and the Verena Décor style not only looks stunning, but is a very
easy product to work with which meant the club had the minimum of disruption
during the installation process.’
As a result of the success of this project, MB Distribution has been awarded
the contract to supply additional Décor ranges to refurbish the
‘Mango’ stylebar, also part of the Vimtrim leisure chain.
‘We have no hesitation in using MB Distribution for the next phase
of our refurbishment programme and we are delighted with the quality and
finish of the Décor product range’ said Mark.
Tel: 01249 816969
Email: mailto:hazel.wilson@deceuninck.com
Duraflex
and NBW Provide A Winning Partnership
Duraflex
and NBW are proving to be a winning
partnership at an exclusive Banner Homes development in Watford. Over
400 doors and windows from the Duraflex PVC-U Diamond Suite are being
fabricated and installed by NBW for the £90,000 contract at Eastbury
Park. The development’s 27 luxury three and four bedroom homes are
scheduled for completion at the end of 2004.
Based in Evesham, NBW Limited specialises in servicing the demanding new
build sector. At Eastbury Park the company is supplying and fitting classic
side hung casement windows using Duraflex 65mm bevelled profile to complement
the traditional architectural style of the properties. Specified in a
brilliant white finish, the externally beaded frames feature a solid transom
and Scotia glazing bead.
An 18mm Georgian Bar externally applied in an attractive ‘cottage
cross’ design within each 24mm Low E sealed unit completes the popular
period look. In addition to windows, NBW is manufacturing French doors
from the Duraflex 65mm Bevelled Suite, which also include Georgian Bars
to match the fenestration design.
NBW supplies Duraflex doors windows and conservatories to many of the
leading national and regional housebuilders and has been working with
Banner Homes for nearly five years. Banner Homes is one of the UK’s
leading medium-sized developers and retailers of new homes in Southern
England. Many of its developments have been commended for their sensitive
use of quality materials and interesting features, including the windows.
‘We supply and install doors and windows for virtually all Banner
Homes developments, and find the fully integrated Duraflex Diamond Suite
enables us to meet the diverse needs of modern housebuilders in terms
of both design and performance. The specification at Eastbury Park is
particularly popular and has been provided by us for numerous sites,’
comments Geoff Doran, NBW’s Sales Director.
NBW’s move to a new purpose-built factory last year has enabled a
major expansion of the company’s in house glass shop and sealed unit
facility and pushed production capacity up to 1500 frames a week. It currently
operates in excess of eight experienced fitting teams.
Tel: 08705 351351
Web: http://www.duraflex.co.uk
Ritec
Sparkles in Dorchester's Showers
Ritec’s
ClearShield has brought the sparkle back to stylish shower screens at
The Dorchester in London, one of the world’s most luxurious hotels.
Shower enclosures in selected rooms have been treated with ClearShield
– an award-winning glass protection system developed by Ritec to
convert high maintenance unprotected glass into Low-M (Low Maintenance)
Glass.
Glass
shower doors and enclosures are particularly susceptible to surface damage
and discolouration because of the many salts and minerals (limescale)
found in tap water, which bond to the glass and eventually etch the surface.
In addition, dirt and greasy substances, such as soap and shampoo, accumulate
in the microscopic valleys of the glass surface, making cleaning difficult
and labour-intensive. Faced with just this problem in elegant art-deco
style bathrooms on the second floor, The Dorchester’s in-house engineering
team appointed Preedy Glass to look for a solution. Preedy turned to Ritec’s
proven ClearShield system for an effective and long lasting solution.
Treating glass with ClearShield creates a chemically non-reactive and
‘non-stick’ surface. As a result limescale and general dirt
only builds up half as fast and cannot bond to the glass. Alongside the
obvious aesthetic benefits, cleaning time and frequency are cut, on average,
by 50%. The treated glass is quicker and easier to clean, without the
need for harsh chemicals, so contributing to a significant reduction in
maintenance time and costs.
At The Dorchester, discoloured glass in shower enclosures was renovated
with specialist products before ClearShield was hand-applied by Ritec
applicators with the minimum of disruption to the Hotel and its guests.
Once cured, any residue coating is simply washed off, leaving a sparkling,
stain-resistant surface that will retain its visual appeal for much longer.
Commenting on the success of the ClearShield treatment process, Kevin
Flaye of The Dorchester’s engineering team says, ‘The shower
screens being free of limescale helps keep the bathrooms looking as good
as our guests would expect.’
Preedy Glass uses the ClearShield process at its factory ‘all the
time’, according to Mike Preedy, Director of Preedy Glass. ‘It
was the first time we have used it on site, and it worked well,’
he comments.
Tel: 020 8344 8210
Web: http://www.ritec.co.uk
Laminated
Glass: a Key Factor in Retail Architectural Innovation
The
Times Square flagship store for retail toy giant Toys R Us enfolds kids
and parents alike in a magic wonderland. It represents a significant step
in the company’s campaign to be 'the centre of the toy universe',
as stated by Chief Executive John Eyler. Through a combination of innovative
retail design incorporating a striking laminated glass façade,
entertainment culture and ground breaking graphic communication the store,
completed in 2002, has achieved its goal of attracting 20 million visitors
annually.
‘Building meets billboard’
John Bricker, creative director with architect Gensler said: 'The media-dense
neighbour-hood of Times Square presented challenging competition to the
design team selected to revamp the Toys R Us image for a digital age.
The creative solution is a high-tech exterior signage system covering
the entire laminated glass façade of the four-storey building.
Just inside the translucent laminated glass windows, 165 individual scrolling
panels display up to eight different images. A precise, computer-controlled
choreography system exposes these individual signs in a programmed sequence,
forming a series of dynamic art displays. This is ‘building meets
billboard’!'
Scott Haber, managing partner of WW Glass of New York said: 'The use of
non-glare laminated glass in the façade was essential for the success
of this project. The architects wanted a transparent wall so that passers-by
could clearly view the screens and rollers that are directly behind the
glass. Laminated glass with a reflective coating solved this challenge.
Gensler also required laminated glass to meet wind load requirements for
this large façade.' The laminated glass was supplied by Troesch
of Switzerland’s U.S. distributor, McGrory Glass of New York.
Pictures courtesy of Gensler