5 industry news Rothschild Bank project generates plenty of interest A
lecture on designing the new Rothschild Bank HQ, given by the renowned architect, Ellen
van Loon of OMA Partners, was standing room only. Well over 250 people crammed into the lecture theatre at the Building Centre in London last night to attend a talk sponsored by Szerelmey Ltd, the Vauxhall based specialist stonework and restoration contractors. The speaker, Ellen van Loon,
gave a very detailed insight into the trials and tribulations involved in the design of New Court, the new HQ for Rothschild Bank in St Swithin’s Lane. Trying to persuade the planning authorities to accept a 15 storey cutting edge design building in the inner sanctum of the city would be a challenge for any architectural prac- tice. When your client is a very tradi- tional institution who has occupied the site since 1809, it makes the eventual outcome even more radical. The speaker didn’t go into too
much detail on why the project took seven years from design to com- pletion, but did mention that a whole year was lost in the planning process. St Swithin’s Lane is around 3m wide and the site sits in front of a Wren masterpiece, St Stephen Walbrook Church. Other real issues such as Party Wall Agreements going back several centuries and historic ‘rights to light’ reminded them that they were in ‘the City’. The talk raised many interesting issues with regards to procurement
and design, not least the architects right to push back all of the bound- aries, regardless of the challenges. Despite the obvious perception when dealing with a multi-billion pound client, budgets were an issue and having built up their fortune over hun- dreds of years going back to the Crimean War, a blank cheque wasn’t offered. One of Ellen van Loon’s pet hates is offices with carpet tiles and by bringing in a contractor to solve the flooring issue, rather than a man- ufacturer, was perhaps not as contro- versial as it sounds. A building of this stature still needed its grandeur to be reflected, which is surrounded by floor to ceiling glass panels. The challenge was in requiring a
‘solid’ stone floor but also needing to run all the modern day services underneath. Szerelmey rose to the challenge in both practical terms and budget restrictions. Their design team not only created a raised floor but also took into account the multitude of reasons why architects or clients might wish to avoid the ‘wet trades’ associated with stone floors. To avoid the dust, cement, drying times and access issues, much of the system was designed to be constructed in large panels offsite. In the true spirit of this project, having a superb stone floor was not enough. If you can have a stone raised stone floor with serv- ices underneath, why not a sus- pended stone ceiling with services above? Again, Szerelmey took this in their stride and produced a light-
weight stone system that allowed the vast array of alarm systems, CCTV cameras, sprinkler systems and spe- cialist lighting to be installed within the ceiling void. The ceiling also needed to accommodate a curtain track system so that ‘rooms’ could be produced at the flick of a switch. A raised stone floor that can be assem- bled quickly on site with a minimum of time and mess are two bi-products of an architect knowing what they want, and perhaps just as important, knowing where to get it. The result is not only a ceiling that mirrors the pol- ished stone floor but also a soffit and exterior ground surface to match, blurring the edges between interior and exterior. To continue the design concept, Szerelmey also designed, supplied and laid all of the exterior paving and steps. Approaching a specialist contractor
rather than a manufacturer may not be the traditional route. However everyone who crammed into The Building Centre last night will be aware that OMA Partners do ‘tradi- tional’ but not in a traditional way. All this effort is for a building that is
tucked away down a tiny ‘street’ that you can just about squeeze a car down. However if are in the area take a walk down St Swithin’s Lane and your journey will be rewarded not only with a great modernist structure but also a stunning view of an earlier mas- terpiece, from Messrs Wren. Just don’t tell the guy on security that Szerelmey sent you!
Windows and doors company Allan Brothers to focus on UK Wide consumer strategy
In outlining the new strategy Mr
Hughes disclosed that the company will back it up by launching a major campaign in Yorkshire and spa towns in the south of England where the sash window style is popular. “Home improvements make up
doors manufacturer Allan Brothers focus on becoming a consumer brand across the UK during 2012. “Our aim is to grow the business
A
significantly by selling more to the consumer through a recommended network of installers,” said Mr Hughes.
n appetite for rapid growth under new MD Danny Hughes will see timber windows and
half the UK market so that will be our focus, although we will not leave behind our traditional roots in the building and social housing market,“ he added. Allan Brothers, which last year
celebrated its bi-centenary, has announced a £1 million investment in new machinery at its Berwick upon Tweed factory and is looking to see a 15 per cent increase in sales this year. This investment includes a new
£300,000 IT system, which makes it more efficient in tracking and measur- ing productivity on the shop floor. The company has also worked hard to provide a more seamless service to customers, achieved by offering an on time and full customer delivery performance, which has consistently been up at 97 per cent. In addition, its lead time of six weeks has been a key platform in enabling it to compete. Mr Hughes said: “It has meant that
while the window and door market is down by five per cent nationally, the sales at Allan Brothers have been up 18 per cent, which is fantastic because it means our market share has increased in what are very diffi- cult market conditions.”
enq. 103 Riverside Transport Museum
Four museums built by BAM make the in top 10 list for £100,000 prize
this year’s Museum of the Year by the Arts Fund Prize. BAM, which has offices across the
B
UK, built the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) in Exeter, M Shed in Bristol and in Scotland, the Riverside Transport Museum in Glasgow and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. Chris Gilmour, director of design at
BAM, said: “We’re thrilled to find our- selves associated with this prestigious list, which is a chance to showcase of our some of our work. Museums are special buildings, they require very careful craftsmanship, skills, and man- agement to deliver with a strong emphasis on quality. It comes not long after we completed work on the Ashmolean Museum and the new Darwin building for the Natural History Museum. We wish all the long-listed projects a happy future because we know how much hard work has gone into every one of them.” The short list is announced in May, and the winner in June.
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AM Construction has learned that its work is behind four out of the ten museums listed for
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