OVER 1,200m2 of StoVentec Glass cladding has been used as part of the upgrade and refurbishment of Reading Station.
Specified by Grimshaw Architects, the glass product was chosen to combine a high quality aesthetic with a robust and easy to maintain surface that was straightforward to retrofit to the existing concrete structure. The visual appearance was the starting point.
“It was really important to get the colour absolutely right”, said project architect Nick Hawkes.
The grey colour provides a contemporary monolithic colour that runs throughout the concourse areas, ticket halls and one façade. The mechanical fixing required by the StoVentec system was simple to accommodate.
Nick Hawkes added, “The original structure was a mix of concrete blockwork and in situ concrete that was structurally sound.
“We wanted simply to clad over the top of it which meant we didn’t need to do any remedial work to the surface.
“The glass cladding is fixed to a metal frame which in turn fixed to the concrete substrate. It’s a relatively easy system to work with and, once the installation is underway it goes up really quickly. As it is a glass system, all measurements need to be very precise but this wasn’t a problem and the process went smoothly.”
