Terminating opposite its famous beach, close by the pier stretching out into the English Channel, Brighton’s railway station is part of the resort’s most recognisable structures, and an important part of its architectural heritage.
When it came to undertaking significant refurbishment work to the building, local conservation officers sought to restore the elements involved to their original splendour, which has led to a member of the Steel Window Association supplying a large number of arch topped doorsets and windows for the work.
London based Govette Windows was awarded the contract by Walker Construction under competitive tender, while the Trevor Patrick Partnership was the architectural consultancy leading the design.
As pre-contract plans were being formulated, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that the inappropriate aluminium framed glazing which had been fitted in the early eighties could not remain.
The Site Manager for Walker Construction, Mr Jon Shepherd, recounts: “The station is a listed building, with grants being obtained to help return it to its original condition. So part of the discussions between ourselves, Trevor Patrick Partnership and the client, Southern Railways, was about putting back steel windows and doors as it would have had. The job has gone well and to programme with our having worked well with our chosen fabricator, Govette Windows.”
Govette surveyed all of the openings before beginning fabrication using the W20 steel sections, which were hot dip galvanized and given a white polyester powder coat paint finish. Conservation issues dictated the use of single glazing which was all cut from 6.4 mm laminated safety glass.
The doorways are particularly tall and narrow which led to two different designs being used as Darren Lloyd of Govette Windows explains: “The doorsets are 3200 mm high but only 1200 mm wide. Therefore for the retail spaces, where the doors are likely to be kept open for much of the time, they feature equal leafs, but for the offices they are asymmetric in design to create a ‘traffic’ door for easy pedestrian access.”
The Steel Window Association’s website offers details of all the different options available through its members for applications from replica restoration to modern commercial and residential developments which are able to comply with the new 2013 Part L of the Building Regulations to meet Part L of the Building Regulations.