TRANSPARENT ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES
The Battersea Power Station redevelopment, one of the largest regeneration projects in Europe, aims to bring back to life both the iconic Power Station and the surrounding area on the south bank of the River Thames. By virtue of the holistic vision of the entire development team, the 42-acre site will be ‘re-electrified’ in a vibrant new destination for London, housing unique homes designed by internationally renowned architects, along with offices, shops, restaurants, green space and space for the arts with over 19 acres of public space. The overall project is divided into eight phases developed starting from the western side of the site and moving to the east. Phase 3 is the main gateway to the development, connecting the Northern line extension station with The Power Station. It features the construction of over 1,300 luxury apartments framing the Electric Boulevard running through the middle of the residential area, along with 50 new shops, cafes and restaurants, a tube station, a community hub and children’s playground. As a part of Phase 3A, Gehry Partners has designed Prospect Place, its first permanent residential development in the UK, as a series of buildings located on the opposite side of Electric Boulevard with a sculpted undulating façade. Permasteelisa is working on the envelope of the two Frank Gehry buildings of Phase 3A - adjacent to the iconic Battersea Power Station - delivering the design, manufacture and installation of around 27,200 sqm of the complex 3D shaped unitised envelope. The design of Prospect Place was inspired by the flowing sails of ships and by John Nash’s typical London Regency style façades. In architecture of such distinctive character, the surface area of the façade is never the same, capturing and reflecting light to provide an image of itself that is always new to the beholder. The façade’s sinuousness and dynamism are particularly striking. They are the result of the way the various components of the façade are put together to evoke the flowing sails of ships and trigger an interplay of particularly engaging reflections. Each building has its own style and the undulating façade of the buildings means
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no two homes are the same. Sustainability is also paramount to the development of the project. The sustainability framework includes the benefits to the community, economy and environment along with the architect’s commitment to design excellence and dedication to making public and private spaces that feel good for the inhabitants and respect the surrounding context. The façade is designed to take full advantage of the brightness of the buildings, thanks to the special undulating shape created by the protruding and receding volumes of winter gardens and terraces. The choice to use white aluminium panels for the façade allows filling the common areas between the buildings with a warm and enveloping light coming from the sun’s rays reflecting on the façade. The envelope comprises three main elements: customised, unitised glass façade units creating the internal walls of the cladding, unique white surfaces that give the shape to the building and unique spandrel panels. Everything pivots around the key area near the spandrel panel and the transition between this and the vision glass. The innovative design has required the engineering and production of around 4,000 unitized panels, with aluminium profiles equipped with double-glazed or opaque infills, all different from each other and openable both with a folding or sliding panel. The undulating shape of the façade required about 3,300 aluminium closed infill white “boxes”, characterised by a unique and non-repetitive, customised shape. These boxes create the undulating and sinuous shape desired by the Architect. The project aims to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating under the BREEAM sustainability assessment method, so the visible panels are equipped with high thermal and solar performance low-E coated, extra-clear glass to maximise the light coming in, while preserving energy. The installation of the last panel is planned for the coming months and when completed Prospect Place will be a new architectural landmark for London.
intelligent glass solutions | summer 2021