Glass balustrades make a sleek, stylish and minimal impression, leading them to be chosen increasingly on high-profile commercial projects, and straightforward to install with CRL’s MEGAgrip. Such was the case with the design of The Fire Station, a live music and performance venue in the heart of Sunderland’s city centre. 
Steeped in history, the location may be new to the city’s music scene but the building itself is a familiar landmark in the local area. Successfully blending old with new, this is an impressive restoration of the 1908 Central Fire Station. Now housing a state-of-the-art auditorium and the Engine Room bar & bistro, the use of glass balustrades fitted with MEGAgrip from CRL throughout the interior is a natural choice that brings a modern twist to this most traditional of settings.
With a full calendar of popular events scheduled throughout the year, public safety was very much a priority for the refurbishment’s main contractor Brims Construction, who were keen to ensure no compromises were made in terms of aesthetics either. That meant using the very best, most reliable solutions for installation of the balustrades, with CRL’s MEGAgrip meeting all the requirements.
Installed by Dale Fabrication, MEGAgrip from CRL is a fully adjustable 3kN commercial balustrade system, designed as a highly-durable public safety barrier ideal for this location.
One of the simplest balustrade systems to fit and adjust thanks to its patented screw-clamp technology to secure the glass in place, the dry-glazed system requires no specialist tools, so the glass can easily be removed and replaced if required for maintenance purposes.
Aligning the glass within the channel was simple and adjustable from either side of the base shoe to ensure a straight line, with internal glass clamps also enabling the glass to be moved forwards and backwards to achieve the perfect fit.
Although not always necessary with CRL’s MEGAgrip, on this occasion a cap rail was specified for comfort and aesthetic reasons. Geoff Gibson, Managing Director of Dale Fabrications, commented: “The rail slotted on with no issues and the adjustability really worked in our favour. Because of the straightforward installation we were able to complete the balustrade on time, with no issues and to the customer’s liking.”
MEGAgrip from CRL is accredited and approved by multiple organisations to verify that it meets national and international building regulations for use as edge protection, where up to 3kN force loading is required as with The Fire Station as a public venue.
Precision engineered using extruded aluminium with a geometrically hollowed out core, providing an incredible strength to weight ratio, the frameless system is a visually pleasing safety enhancement to this impressive setting.
For more information call CRL on 01706 863600, email crl@crlaurence.co.uk, or visit www.crlaurence.co.uk
