Brook Green, London, UK
Factory design with glass roof.
Since the 19th century, the borough of Brook Green has attracted numerous companies due to its proximity to one of the main arteries in west London. Even today, the industrial architecture of the early 19th century characterizes the district, which is increasingly being discovered by the modern business world. The old industrial buildings of Osram or J. Lyons & Co will be revitalized and put to new uses. An example of this is the listed building at 184 Shepherds Bush Road. Under the leadership of ColladoCollins Architects, it was transformed from a presentation and workshop building for cars into a modern office loft with industrial charm. The design includes a three-storey extension on the roof of the existing building with a new glass vault reminiscent of the glass palaces of the 19th century.
Project data
Architect
ColladoCollins Architects, London
Client
McLaren, London
Facade
se-austria GmbH & Co. KG, Schörfling
Glass
GEWE-therm® multi with neutral sun protection layer, GEWE-dur-H® and GEWE-safe® made of GEWE-tvg®
Glass supplier
Schollglas Sachsen GmbH, Nossen
Modern architecture with historical character
It was very important to the architects to preserve the character of the listed building and to keep the necessary structural changes to a minimum – both in terms of the interior and exterior appearance. Despite its large extension of 60 metres long, 30 metres wide and 14 metres high, the vaulted roof appears light and transparent. The vault itself is formed by the vertically running steel shaped tubes, which taper towards the top. In conjunction with the diagonal tubes, a lattice structure is created, like a diamond, which forms the curved glazed roof.
Solution to minimize unwanted heating
In order to minimise unwanted heating, 60 per cent of the roof glazing was made opaque. In order to achieve a uniform design across the entire roof, the architects and roof planners developed so-called solid glazing in cooperation with Schollglas. The glazing consists of an outer surface made of the robust single-pane safety glass GEWE-dur-H®, which is screen-printed over the entire surface. This is glued to an insulating panel. The end to the inside is a powder-coated sheet metal.
The arrangement of these solid panels is based on a building physics calculation: although they appear randomly scattered, they become denser and denser towards the top and cover the entire surface in the uppermost area. To the south and on the side of the neighbouring building, the proportion of solid glass panels is higher. On the one hand, to gain more sunlight and on the other hand, to protect privacy.
Optimal thermal insulation with high safety standards
For the transparent areas, the planners chose the GEWE-therm® multi insulating glass panes with a neutral sun protection layer and contemporary safety properties. The units are made of the toughened safety glass GEWE-dur® and the laminated safety glass GEWE-safe®, which is particularly suitable for overhead glazing and facades. On the outside, the thermal insulation glass is still printed with a dot grid over the entire surface. Together with the sun protection layer, this prevents too much heat from entering the interior and ensures a uniform look with the Solids elements.
Mastering logistical challenges
A particular challenge lay in the different formats of solids and insulating glass panes: If the curved roof is divided into four quarters along the longitudinal and transverse axes, no rhombus on the roof is the same in size or dimensions within a quarter. The same applies to the triangular surfaces. With a high level of logistical expertise, Schollglas ensured that the 2,670 panes and solids could be delivered to the construction site in the correct sequence and “just-in-time”.
The natural light of the building and the impressive view over the city create a very extraordinary working environment. The striking diamond-like vault impresses with its multifaceted sparkle during the day and its brilliant radiance at night.
