London Bridge Station

NES has recently completed the Corten Column Cladding at London Bridge Station. This is the link between the underground and the network rail station. The original quadripartite vaulted ceiling was also exposed during these works. The initial design was for perforated stone column cladding. The cost and risk of damage involved with this moved the concept on to steel cladding. Different surface finishes were explored in bronze, blackened steel and Corten.

There was a number of features the finish needed to achieve:
• It needed to contrast with the colour pallet of the floor and ceiling finishes.
• It needed to have an inconsistent organic texture and colour patina. This is to reference the caustic, neo-industrial style of the stations Victorian manufacturing heritage.
• Finally, it had to be robust enough for the environment. This includes minimising the rust brush off, Class O fire safety, bomb blast requirements and in situ maintenance.

The chosen finish was the chemically rusted Corten Steel from NES Architectural. This has a number of layers of rusting to build up the texture of the rust layer in a controlled environment. On top of the Corten’s rust patina, a clear matt lacquer is wet sprayed to the face. This is built up in four to six layers to get the lacquer thick enough to accommodate the high texture of the face and rigours of the station environment.

The Corten Cladding was specified as 10mm. Initially thinner steel was discussed however, the thick metal and the sold M20 bolts reinforce the industrial Victorian feel of the column cladding. This can be seen in some of the other classic architecture in the London Rail and Underground Station columns. Practically the columns are backed with 100mm acoustic mineral wool to absorb and refract the sound in this area. NES has 15 sq. meters of the cladding panels achieved an absorption coefficient as high as 0.9 at 500 hertz Frequency.

The site installation has some challenges installing the half columns in close proximity to the retail shop front glazing to both sides of the columns. The flooring had already been pre laid and featured a slant. This means each line of 2 full and 2 half columns is a different height. The cladding panels had to be fitted on an invisible fix hook on system with the ability to be moved for site tolerances and in relation to the other sheets as they are bolted together for aesthetic reasons. The top cap of the columns features a removable section allowing for bother the LED wall washer uplighters and the M&E services behind the cladding to be accessible.

Project details:
Scope:Design, manufacture and installation
Quantity: 18 full columns and 18 half columns
Client: Network Rail
Lead Contractor: Costain Group
Lead Architect: London Bridge Station
Consultant Architect: Grimshaw Architects
Completion date: Dec 2017

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

20 EBT - Bronze anodised fins

This exciting project features bronze anodised aluminium extrusion mounted to an anthracite grey backer mounted to the double height walls. The internal cladding continues across the concrete plinth then up to form a cantilevered balustrade. The soffit is also clad in NES Architectural’s bespoke invisible fix hook on system. This is backed up with a 40mm Ecophon acoustic panel. Due to the fact this was a refurbishment project, the fixing system had to be mounted into clay pots and span almost 500mm!

This design represents another modern classic from Stiff & Trevillion Architects. The considered design made realising so many different variations of the same panels possible. NES Architectural’s 3D CAD design provided unique and structurally approved fixing systems enabling completion of the design phases under extreme time pressure. Each of the extruded anodised aluminium fins are either 100 x 30mm or 40 x 30mm and have individually hand manufactured bevelled end caps. This level of detail and quality with anodised aluminium relies on the 30 years’ experience NES Architectural fabricators can call upon.

The anodising is to Bronze 541. This is a light champagne bronze. The light refraction from the faces of the anodised aluminium is extremely visually interesting. The double height glazed facade faces east towards the new Paddington Crossrail station. This allows light to stream over the different facets and angles of the anodised aluminium.

NES Signs manufactured the external "20" letter in brushed stainless steel. This has a bolted down base plate and novel layered internal structure to prevent deflection.

Project details:
Scope: Design, manufacture and installation.
Bronze anodised fins. Bronze anodised aluminium louvres. Bronze anodised aluminium cladding.
Completion: 2016
Client: Land Securities
Main Contractor: Wates Construction.
Architect: Stiff & Trevillion Architects
Designed design: Fletcher Priest

Awards:
Winner: BCO National Awards 2017, Best Recycled / Refurbished Office Space
Winner: BCO London Awards 2017, Best Recycled / Refurbished Office space
Shortlisted: NLA Awards 2017, Conservation & Retrofit

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

The 'Pecking Bird' - Public Art

We are excited to announce that Gary Hume's Pecking Bird has now joined British Land’s public collection of contemporary art at Regent’s Place.

Dimensions: 14 metres high and 9 metres wide.
Height: 16.95m meters from above the ground.

This prominent south-facing position will mean that Pecking Bird will be seen from many West End view-points including, Tottenham Court Road, Euston Road and Warren Street Station.

This public art work was water jet cut from 15mm aluminium. Each of the layers is mounted on cylindrical aluminium rods. This provides an additional 3D element to the work, giving it extra impact. The artist demanded an extremely high gloss level to the work. Multiple layers of wet spraying were built up slowly on the face to achieve this. This results in a colour saturation and visual impact that really catches the eye.

NES Architectural’s large scale manufacturing was key to ensure the abstract modules that make up the sculptural painting are to scale and ratio.
Due to this highly reflective surface and tight viewing angle from many perspectives that flatness of the material was key. This was ensured through a stringent flatness quality assurance regime through the different stages of the project. Hopefully the work contributes to the visual landscape of the open air gallery that is the Euston Road for all of the people working, studying at the university campus or just visiting this fantastic city.

Project details:
Client: British Land
Date: 2013
Location:
Regent's Place
2 Triton Square Mall
Regent's Place
London
NW1 3HF

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

One Tower Bridge - Wayfinding Signs

One Tower Bridge sits on the cusp of some of the most iconic and historic landmarks in London.
As such, the focus for architects Squire and Partners and Lead contractor Berkley Homes was to produce something in keeping with the environment while linking in the cutting edge residential development.

The chosen design features 6mm Bronze, water jet cut into layers. This is then aged with an artificial 25 year patina effect. Rather than seal the patina pre installation, the finish is free to the elements. This allows the natural inconsistancies of the material to change and adapt to the environment. Bronze is a classic Victorian material and speaks to the timeless high quality vision for the development.

Secondly there is the monoliths. The geometric pattern echos the woven metalwork seen on the sides of London Bridge itself. This pattern forms a link accross many elements of the development including the web site, reception branding, marketing and of course hard signage.
These combined some of the best technology and tricks of the sign world trade NES have to offer:
• Double sided
• Invisible fix hook on system.
• Halo illuminated push through text
• Anodised effect powder coating
• Dual colour powder coating. This is a proprietary technology NES has employed on several occasions now. With extraordinary accuracy and detail we are able to lay one coat on top of another without the use of short term digital print technologies.

Elsewhere in the development NES Lightline produces some amazing backlit LED Light Panels for the external lift core curtain walling. These has frit patterns and diffuser inside the glass. This was envisaged by DHA Lighting Design and installed by M Price.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Kingly Court Carnaby Street

Kingly Court off Carnaby street is an oasis of calm in the clamour of Soho.

The client demanded high quality and technically challenging signs.

These included:

• Build up text in powder coated aluminium. These featured both internal and halo illumination.

• Linear LED strips. These provided an extremely visually impressive delineation of the perimeter of the ceiling and the canopy.

• Traditional hand painted sign written murals were also painted on site by NES.

• Digitally print and vinyl to some of the display walls made up the final element of the package.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Seymour Place

OneTwentyFour Marylebone - Seymour Place - Anodised Aluminium Cladding

This development features 12 luxury new apartments. These benefit from both the residential leafy street that is Seymour Place and the prestigious central prime location.

The building compliments the best classical architecture of Marylebone Village from the front, with Welsh slate and Portland stone façade. From the back, bronze anodised aluminium cladding is used. This provides the residents with greater amenity in their luxury flats, looking east over the London skyline. The architects Darling Associates are known for their fluid use of high end architectural materials combining bronze anodising with glass and steel.

This cladding is in 3mm J57S aluminium anodised to Bronze 545. The 25 micron anodic finish offers a life of the building / 80 year guarantee (on the finish). The bronze anodised colour chosen is one of the darker tones in United Anodisers Ltd bronze range. There is still considerable differences in colour and tone depending on the angle of incidence and ambient light levels. This is fitted with an invisible fix hook on system in front of the insulation and DPM (damp proof membrane). This system allows for the thermal expansion of the aluminium without causing deflection in the panel. Also with a manual fix on the top of each sheet there is no possibility of panel delamination seen on some bonded systems. Should any panels be damaged the panels have the ability to be individually removed for replacement or repair.

NES Architectural brought their specialist expertise of 30 years façade engineering to this project. This allowed the lead contractor Merchant Land to place the design, manufacture and installation of this challenging and critical external element with NES for a turn-key solution.

Project Details:
Architect: Darling Associates
Client: Merchant Land
Date: Completion 2016
Scope: 200 sq. m bronze anodised aluminium cladding

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Market Gates Shopping Centre

NES designed, manufactured and installed the new branding package for Market Gate Shopping centre in Great Yarmouth.

The new owners Ellandi Ltd were keen to update the existing shopping centre to set the basis for a new and prestigious tenant base. Due to the proximity to the sea, grade 316 stainless steel was chosen. The ambitious sign package was almost entirely illuminated with efficient and long lasting LED technology. For the projecting signs elliptical lensed LEDs with 5 x 50 degree lenses were used. The custom mirror polished housings were sculpted to the architecture and scale of the building. Direct to media digital printing and various translucent opal acrylics and polycarbonate have been used to balance visual impact with long term external performance. Polycarbonate in particular is able to resist impact in cold conditions that would cause most acrylics to shatter.

The curved face was internally illuminated to offer a bright and welcoming impact for visitors.

Client: Ellandi
Architect: Stanley Bragg Architects

If you would like more information please get in touch with Bill Hiskett, Account Manager, by emailing bill.hiskett@nes-solutions.co.uk

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Western Transit Shed - King's Cross

Double sided projecting signs.
These featured glass and stainless steel.
Illumination was achieved through our LED Light Panels. Thse provided bright and even illumination.

The victorian railway building was transformed into cutting edge facilities for retail, commercial and education uses.

Specification
Dimensions: 1214 x 686 x 150mm
Face: 6mm toughened glass
Frame: 6mm grade 316 brushed stainless steel
Illumination: Technic LED Light Panel

Lead contractor: BAM
Envelope contractor: MERO-SCHMIDLIN (UK) PLC
Architect: Stanton Williams Architects
Client: Argent PLC

If you would like more information please get in touch with Bill Hiskett, Account Manager, by emailing bill.hiskett@nes-solutions.co.uk

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest