When the joint design
team of CDA and Hoskins Architects took on the brief to design a new scheme
integrating five existing buildings in a historic Edinburgh square, they knew
they would be creating a striking contemporary counterpoint to the surrounding
architecture.
The final design uses
distinctive, custom-made fins – some bronze and some stone – along with
projecting lantern glass boxes and a grand double height entrance leading to a
full height atrium to create a building that is unapologetically modern.
However, the designers
were also keen to respect the rich architectural heritage of the site by using
the highest quality materials, including the glazing, which covers most of the
building.
Michael Metcalfe,
commercial sales manager at Pilkington UK, said: “The whole building has been
finished to an extremely high standard, and that’s visible in the glazing. A
great deal of attention has been paid in the installation to ensure near
perfect alignment of the units.
“As a result, when the
surrounding buildings are reflected in the façade, there is very little
distortion, helping to lend a very premium feel to the whole project.”
To
complete the façade, two different glazing technologies were used. The ground
floor retail units and the soffit glazing on the underside of the projecting
spaces were achieved using a Pilkington
Planar structural bolted system. This
uses low profile stainless steel fixings to provide frameless, glass surfaces
that deliver clean lines and uninterrupted views.
The rest of the façade
features a bespoke curtain wall system from manufacturer Kawneer, onto which
the bronze and stone fins are mounted.
Michael Metcalfe
continued: “The fins play a critical role in allowing the designers to deliver
such a heavily glazed building at this very sensitive site. When you face the
façade head-on, they are narrow enough that you can hardly see them. But, as
you move into the square itself, the building’s frontage appears to become
solid.
“Thanks to the
cleverly concealed full-height glazing, the interior is filled with daylight
and occupants get the full benefit of the impressive views of Edinburgh Old
Town and over the Firth of Forth.”
The building was
developed by the Standard Life Pooled Property Pension Fund and joint venture
partner Peveril Securities, who wanted the property to deliver modern energy
performance standards in order to make the space on offer as attractive as
possible to potential tenants.
With a heavily glazed
building, this can be a challenge. A combination of heat loss during cold
weather and excessive heating on hot days means that a lot of artificial
climate control is typically needed.
To minimise both
factors, Pilkington Suncool 66/33 T glass was specified across the whole
building. This is a superior solar control glass that helps to reduce
transmission of heat from the sun to just 33 per cent, while allowing 66 per
cent of visible light through.
This ensures a
comfortable climate for occupants all-year-round without compromising on bright
interiors and spectacular views.
A total of 4000m2 of glass was used across the façade. The
£90m, nine-storey mixed-use project has created over 65,000 sq ft of category-A
office space as well as eight restaurant and retail units on the lower-ground,
ground and first floors. All the space has already been successfully let.
