Playboy Smoking Terrace

Combining form and function.

NES was asked by the architects Jestico & Whiles to work with them to design and manufacture the roof terrace canopy of a new casino in central London.

Their concept was for the canopy soffit to the clad with architectural rain screen panels which could incorporate a piece of artwork to give the space an individual form. The client did not want standard panels with a retro-fit graphic, which is why we proposed bespoke panels with high resolution UV printing; something we specialise in.

The ACM (aluminium composite material) panels were machined and then put through the NES flatbed printed. Special care was taken in referencing the image to each panel in order to create a large seamless graphic on the installed soffit. The panels were then folded to form part of the canopy to fix onto the structural steel frame. NES are able to fabricate, digitally print and roll ACM at sizes up to 7 meters x 2 meters.

The NES installation team worked alongside Phelan Construction to bring to life the architect's vision.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Grosvenor Waterside

The aluminium rain screen cladding system of 5,361 unique anodised panels with a shot peened design by artist Clare Woods, transforms the entire facade into the canvas for a monumental public art work, taking the form of a semi-abstract pattern of tree-like shapes appearing to grow over the surface of the building. Make references the building’s language as inspired by the arts and crafts movement. The wooden bannister detailing on the balustrade also relates back to this, reflecting both nature and artisan skill.

NES combines 3D modelling and graphic software to create a manufacturing solution to a project which looked like a logistical nightmare. Each panel was cut, fabricated, masked, peened and finally anodised prior to one last quality check before installation. A similar approach was used for profile cut balconies, bespoke extruded window assemblies and balcony trims.
The shot peened, anodised finish, a first in rain screen cladding, gives the artwork a lifetime well beyond the 35 years with Make Architects envisaged.

The anodising process uses only the purest J57S aluminium. This is open pored allowing the crystallisation of the anodising process to form inside the aluminium. The J57S does not stain and is far more consistent than other grades of aluminium. The density and surface hardness is also higher than 1050 grade. Anodising is a batch process. This introduces the possibility of colour variations across the facade panels. To control this top and bottom colour limits with control samples were produced for all parties.
The shot peening is an extremely innovative process. Due to NES' history in the signs and graphics world integrating this was seamless. The glass bead blasting is a non-erosive process. Also it relieves the natural surface tension present in the material. This actually improved the performance of the blasted sections making the fabricated cladding panels harder and under lower tensile stress. The colour differential is created by altering the angle of light refraction. We found that the lighter anodising colours provided more of a colour contrast than the darker "umber" colours.

The extrusion for the windows was particularly deep, right on the edge of the maximum size of what is possible. Using an extruded solution proved extremely efficient compared to traditional window flashing. The accuracy and strength of these frames was impressive. Also due to the snap in corner cleats site assembly was considerably faster.
Backing onto Victoria Station hundreds of thousands of people catch a glimpse of this iconic structure every year.

Project details
Project completion: 2008
Scope: Supply only Cladding, Window reveals and Fret Cut balustrades.
Sq. m: 6,000
Contractor: John Reddington Ltd
Architect: Make Architects

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Poole Bus Station

Combining rain screen cladding and high resolution UV printing to produce the largest mural in the UK.

Working with Penson Architects NES developed a process of manufacture that allowed us to print direct to the aluminium composite material (ACM) panels, laminate with a UV protective film and then fabricate into a cladding system. When installed this produced a seamless graphic of over 500 panels well over 1000 sq. m.

Designed, manufactured and installed by NES, we suggested ACM as a solution. The advantage with the materials is that we were able to print directly to the surface and guarantee the finish for a minimum of 12 years.

Completed in just 12 weeks, the scheme features the UK’s biggest outdoor mural which adorns the underside of the station’s canopy at the entrance to Dolphin Shopping Centre in the Dorset resort.

Practice chief executive officer Lee Penson said: ‘The design was the opposite to previous solutions that did not succeed in that rather than focussing on the pavings, the seating or items at ground level, we focussed upon the underside of the canopy.

‘[Yet] this was a very tricky scheme to deliver…phasing a fully operable bus station full of businesses and members of public all moving from A to B was a mission that at times seemed impossible.’

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

LOCOG

For the Olympic Games broadcasting LOCOG in sponsored by Panasonic requested the installation of large format external P10 digital screens in every major city in the UK.

These are permanent and had the immediate benefit of bringing the 2012 games to the regional hubs across the UK. Beyond this the advertising revenue from the screens in these central high traffic areas has provided a great "legacy" payback for the client. This has contributed to LOCOG anticipating a breaking even by 2014.

NES designed, manufactured and installed the Aluminium Composite Material cladding for the screen in each of these locations. This built on our experience of cladding the 2 large digital screens at Lords Cricket Club. Many of the screens included tight tolerances to structural steels of varying accuracy. All completed over the length and breadth of the UK within a short time span.

NES now have our own SMD digital screen offering for both internal and external applications. This allows a turnkey 1 stop service for design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of large format external digital screens.

Please contact us for pricing and full specification details.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Liverpool University

Giant metallic scales that catch and reflect the light, the building looks almost like a leviathan from the Mersey stretched across the university campus.

To achieve this effect a bespoke cladding system was designed and developed. The system had to incorporate the glazing and shaped panel with no visible fixings. Working closely with the architects, our designers developed a system that fulfilled all of these requirements. It was in fact designed so well that the installation was ahead of schedule by some three weeks.

The combination of the folded shaped panels and the anodised aluminium finish transforms what could have been an otherwise run of the mill cladding project into something striking and quite remarkable.

Shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Award: Better Public Building Finalist 2010.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Nokia

Text to be supplied by NES

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Harrods

NES worked closely with the project architect to develop stylish new light boxes for the landmark British retailer. The Lightpanels had to compliment the lavishly decorated department which houses top designer labels such as Gucci, Ralph Lauren and Prada. Polished stainless steel framed Light Panels of varying sizes were designed and manufactured at our Essex based factory. Each panel is designed to accept a Duratrans graphic sandwiched between a slim protective Perspex cover and an opal rear. The graphics were then back lit with 5,000k LEDs adding depth and life to the images. The LEDs provide clean even illumination in addition to being energy efficient and generating no heat - the perfect retail solution.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Pan Peninsular

RGB LED Illuminated Onyx panels.

This system is fully integrated with a wireless Ethernet Raco system.

This allows the user to control the whole flat lighting from IPhone or IPad devices. Also the LEDs link dynamically via a sound to light system, responding to audio media system.

The onyx is 20mm blocks, through faced fixed. These brass point fixings go straight through the RGB LED Light Panels into the wall. This allows a frameless, evenly illuminated stone slab wall with a total build up depth of only 35mm.

There were a number of unique factors in this build that demanded the use of our flat panel LED Lighting:

1) No void behind the panels. This caused pressure on the panels from the fixings. As our Ultra LED Light Panels have an aluminium backer / reflector they resisted this would buckling or failure.

2) The onyx was wrapped around a fireplace at one end of the lounge and a fountain at the opposite end! The bespoke extruded aluminium heat sync prevented the LED from overheating even in these extreme conditions.

3) The ability to link up to a 0-10 v Dali control signal allowed seamless and instant control.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Gap

For the GAP Christmas "JOY" marketing campaign we fabricated some spectaculer build up text with double sided illumination and window light boxes. These were in heights of up to 5 meters.

Sets were sent to cities accross Europe, with the whole job being completed in under 3 weeks!

The GAP window display on Oxford Street was bought to life with the addition of our 80mm LED extrusion.

This has the ability to fade from red to white with a bright and even illumination.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest

Jardine Lloyd Thompson

With ISG and M Moser Associates the NES major projects team designed, manufactured and installation this impressive 75m x 3m LED Light Wall.

The entrance to the London Jardine Lloyd Thompson Head Quarters is on the ground floor of The St Botolph Building, 138 Houndsditch. When you enter you follow the curved LED Light Wall, down the escalators and into the lower ground floor there are meeting rooms and a lift to take you to other parts of the building. The idea is to bring large amounts of neutral low glare, high lumens "daylight" to the core of this lower ground atrium. Following the installation, the LED Matrix Panels on the ground floor side entrance were so bright the lead tenants to the building insisted these were turned down!

Toughened, low iron glass was used. This ensures the light is crisp and clean.

The illumination is from our powerful Matrix LED Light Panels. The output of these panels is 7,000 Lumens per sq. m. The light transmission of the diffusing vinyl that backs up the glass is 38%. All LED maintenance is conducted via removable access panels to the back. This allows minimal disturbance of the glass joints and stainless steel fixing channels for maintenance.

The 6 meter double height escalator, Dali controls and seamless convex / concave curves were technically challenging. Draped glass rather than the clamped and curved glass was used to achieve this.

Particular attention was paid to the 180 degree glass-to-glass joints. Historically we had always used silicone bubble joins in this element. M Moser wanted to do better; our response was a combination of both PMMA dry joint for light diffusion and a silicone finishing detail to provide the smooth external face detail. This joint has a width of 4mm, diffuses light, prevents light bleed and is smooth to the touch. Detailed specification on this joint is available for architects and designers.

Critical details preventing light bleed, ensuring even illumination, high light transmission and consistent colour temperature binning sets apart the NES ‘LED Light Wall’ product.

Name *

Email Address *

Message *

Product Interest