Manchester Island

Pre Rusted Corten Cladding.
5mm Corten steel cladding fins and reveals.
The surface has been pre-rusted to "NES Deep Rust 02". This involves the removal of all surface contaminates and chemically rusting in acid. This is a rapid but strictly controlled process. Finally, the surface is neutralised, brushed, and washed. This produces a hard and consistent rust finish from day 1.
The rusting process of the Corten Cladding is not halted, we are just bringing it to a 10-20-year rust level. This has numerous benefits for the formation of an even rust layer. Also, the runoff of rust is dramatically reduced.

Client Team:
Architect: Cartwright Pickard
Lead Contractor: B&K
Installer: KeyClad

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

95 Queen Victoria Street

Blue Grey anodised aluminium in the City of London!
A myriad of different applications of architectural metal work was employed on this project.

Walk through Video Link

Hero Wall
The exciting "Hero Wall" included three structured surfaces (matt etch, brushed and bead blasted) that responded differently to the LED lighting from different angles and colours.
The anodised aluminium surface creates colour via light defraction rather than pigment. This means that a slightly different angle or ambient light, produces a completely different colour. As the DMX-controlled LEDs move through their programming, a dynamic kinetic effect is created.

5th floor ceiling
These perforated acoustic panels were fitted onto a special spring clip system. This allows the corners to be clipped in and moved in 3 axis. This was the same invisible fix system used on Norwich street ceiling light boxes. It has the benefit of being individually removable from below with no tools. The parametric 3D design was completed in Solid Works. The panels transform to an 'invisible fix' wall bracketry system on the wall section.

Reception Backer and Wall Cladding
This again featured blue grey anodised aluminium from AnoAli. The perforated panels were backed up with a sheet of pre-painted aluminium in "anthracite grey". The architectural team has this spaced off by 10mm to allow for as much depth as possible. This was also replicated on the external facade panels. NES' invisible fix hook on system "PPSF01" was used for maximum adjustability to site conditions. As a refurbishment project, the cladding needed to be fitted to the building rather than the drawing.

Entrance Goal Post
The corner of the existing building is hung via a tensile cable from the steels in the roof of the building! To keep this mesmerising double height glass corner intact, the NES design team has to pin our custom bracketry system to the steels in the soffit. Additionally, the vertical elements contained a steel ladder truss for strength and rigidity. Illuminated acrylic draws attention to the entrance and building address day and night.

Client Team:
Architect: Shepard Robson
Light Designer: Light Bureau
Lead Contractor: ISG
Subcontactor: Specialist Group
Client: J. Safra Sarasin
Scope: Design and manufacture
This exciting project was completed in 2024.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Merry Hill Shopping Centre

Glass entrance portals 8 meters tall, RGBW LEDs, sheets over 1800mm wide... what's not to love?!

NES Designed and Fabricated 4 entrance ways for Merry Hill Shopping Centre's extensive refurbishment.

The "goal post" archways use NES' proprietary "LED Light Frame" extrusion. This enabled 8mm toughened low iron glass to be used with a class 0 fire rating. The horizontal bezels were milled back to limit the visual disruption of having a joint along the short edge. Inside each unit has RGBW LED modules that are rated to IP67. This enables the units to be ventilated, mediating the risk of condensation in cold weather.

The facade has RGBW flexi-strip addressable in groups of 3. This enables the Pharos building light management (BLM) system to control the facade and entranceways in concert with the ArtNet DMX protocol.

The ground floor panels have an inverted hook-on system. This allows them to be removed without taking off the panels above.

Wider panels on the largest entrance required structural silicone bonding to hold the thickener interlayered glass in place. These huge sheets are still fitted to an invisible fix hook-on system. The back half of the unit can be unhooked leaving the back tray with LEDs accessible for maintenance.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Gatwick Station

NES Architectural is currently on site at Gatwick Station.
The scope of works includes: Design, manufacture and installation of brushed, gold anodised aluminium. Stove enamelled cladding forms part of the package for the lower level product.

In addition to the cladding works, NES have been awarded the design, manufacture and installation of signage and wayfinding for the station. This includes illuminated LED Light Boxes. Push through text, Totems etc.

To comply with the stringent Bomb Blast requirements, the NESA design team came up with unique and patented collapsible bracket design. This has now been patented and is available directly or via franchise agreement.

The centre piece of the cladding is the brushed gold anodised "AnoAli AnoGold02" there is a combination of hole patterns on the triangles to create triangles within triangles. Mineral wool has been used to create acoustic panels that improve the quality of the busy environment.

Embossing (or Debossing) has been used at lower levels to prevent finger entrapment. The face of the aluminium has a "Structured Surface" in the form of the brushing. This is a form of polishing that makes the panels more reflective.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Watford Letters

NES Detailed, Manufactured and installed the super large "Welcome to Watford" letters in 2020.

This forms part of the Watford Cultural Strategy 2018-2050, by creating a welcoming and impressive first impression of Watford, that celebrated the town’s distinctiveness. This is central to a new cycle hub that declutters the area in front of the station adding a high-value art work piece of public realm landscaping.

The project combines large-scale lettering offering bespoke, illuminated seating with new planting and hard landscaping. The letters themselves to communicate different aspects of Watford’s identity today, whilst creating a playful reinterpretation of seating.
The letters required bespoke welded sub frames. Each of these has rolled and welded mild steel cut over cladding them. These were sent off to be galvanised and powder coated before final assembly. This bought together LED illumination, translucent acrylic, the metal work and the wood slats. The installation was conducted straight from a HIAB loader to exact angles and levels across the site.

The aim was to transform what was a nondescript place for passing through, into a welcoming and friendly environment, encouraging visitors to stay longer and return again. The project signposts to Watford’s other offers, aiming to attract new businesses and improve footfall for the town’s existing retail, culture and leisure. The positioning of the letters and inground wayfinding help to support intuitive wayfinding, directing visitors to the town centre and encouraging walking and cycling over less sustainable modes of transport.

The project was envisaged and designed by the creative power house Dallas Pierce Quintero. NES has worked closely with DPQ over a number of years to produce some special projects.

Graphic design by Stephen Barrett was inspired by the town’s printing heritage.

The project had to provide for the complexities of being situated outside one of the busiest stations on the London to Birmingham route. We worked closely with the client, Watford Borough Council, together with Network Rail, London Northwestern Railway, other local stakeholders in the development and the main contractor to ensure minimal disruption to the experience of day-to-day commuters during the works.

Adam Wood, Head of Infrastructure & Regeneration at Hertfordshire LEP, said: “The revitalised Watford Junction forecourt, with its striking ‘WATFORD’ letters art installation and welcoming atmosphere, provides station users with a greatly improved experience, and visitors with a first impression that befits this vibrant town.

“We celebrated all that Watford has to offer with a playful public realm response designed to lift people’s mood on a daily basis. We hope this project will demonstrate the immense value of quality public space by encouraging both social and physical interaction.”
Juliet Quintero
Dallas-Pierce-Quintero

A key part of the brief was to create installations that can be relocated to accommodate future plans for large-scale station development. In response to this, the letters and planters have been fabricated to be easily removable and adjustable to different sloping gradients of the site.

Watford, Hertfordshire, 2019 – 2020
Client: Watford Borough Council
Designer / Lead contractor: Dallas Pierce Quintero

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest