Leading architectural glazing manufacturer and installer, CAP Aluminium, has won accolades for its £3m worth of spectacular glazing systems on Birmingham’s latest landmark building, £76m Centenary Plaza for developer Kings Oak (Midlands) and Weedon Partnership architects. The main contractor was Laing O’Rourke.

Standing 20 storeys, Centenary Plaza is just Phase 1 of a £450M redevelopment of Arena Central, the huge, city centre regeneration site. CAP glazing enclosed 387 one, two and three bedroom apartments, penthouses, business suite, gymnasium and entrance.

Using a bespoke Kawneer window system, each luxury residence has large tilt and turn, double glazed, picture windows and swing balcony doors. Set into a pre-cast, concrete, sub-frame some windows are full height (6m x 2.5m) while other apartments have 3m glazed corner units which offer cinemascope views over the city and the countryside beyond.

From the 12th to 20th storey CAP completely clad the building. The company’s designers had to adapt Kawneer’s window wall system as there was no existing sub-frame. An aluminium powder-coated feature panel was also fabricated and incorporated into the walling system.

Because of the company’s design and installation experience CAP’s site programme was text-book efficient. All the windows and doors were fabricated off-site at CAP and lifted externally at a rate of approximately 30 composites per fortnight – one floor, per block, per fortnight. Frames were hoisted by crane and external access was gained by cradle. Above this progress was more complex as the structure had a highly engineered, self-supporting façade.

Due to the proximity of Birmingham New Street station, one of Centenary Plaza’s facades had to be enhanced with 6mm + 10mm double glazed units to provide acoustic comfort (6mm+6mm units are on the rest of the building).

For the entrance, business suite and gymnasium CAP also provided a bespoke ‘fin’ version of Kawneer’s curtain wall.

Source

Glass Age