UK-based steel and glazing company Wrightstyle have supplied fire-rated and acoustic door and curtain wall systems for the VIP area of the new Olympic Stadium, in Stratford, East London.
They have also supplied curtain walling and fire-rated unlatched doors for the Anish Kapoor-designed ArcelorMittal Orbit tower. If you’re not already familiar with the 115 metre high observation tower (pictured) being built next to the Olympic Stadium, then you soon will be.
It will be the UK’s largest piece of public art, and will form a key part of the Olympic legacy. Visitors will have the option of climbing the 500 steps or taking the lift to the top, where observation towers will offer "unparalleled views of the entire 250 acres of the Olympic Park and London’s skyline", according to the Greater London Authority.
The glass and steel glazing systems being used are designed to protect buildings from a number of threats – including ballistic protection and blast resistance – as well as fire resistance.
The glass provides a barrier against the passage of flames and heat by using a central layer of clear UV stable heat reactive gel, contained by two layers of toughened glass. It adheres to British Standards BS4736 part 2, and EN1364, according to the manufacturer.
Wrightstyle systems have also been used at venues for the 2004 Olympics, 2010 FIFA World Cup, and in Dubai’s driverless Metro network.
Kim Kempster, Wrightstyle’s managing director said, “Steel glazing systems are an important component in modern architecture, combining the inherent strength of steel with transparency that only glass can provide.
“However, building in fire protection, or protection against other threats, has become a highly specialist business – and one for which we are recognised worldwide. We are extremely pleased to be working on projects for the London games.”
