Iconic design
Architectural glazing systems by Kawneer were used inside Icon Outlet at The O2.
Two types of Kawneer curtain walling – AA100 zone-drained and SSG (structurally silicone glazed) – feature alongside series 190 heavy-duty commercial entrance doors on the 210,000ft2 premium urban outlet inside The O2 on the Greenwich Peninsular in London.
They form the shopfronts within the £69 million complex, which provides more than 80 retail units with a combined area of approximately 400,000ft2. Icon Outlet defines urban outlet malls and brings a shopping experience to the O2 for the first time.
The O2’s offering also features a 20,000-capacity arena, Hollywood Bowl, Oxygen Freejumping, London’s largest Cineworld, Up at The O2, the soon-to-be-opening Mamma Mia! The Party, and more restaurants and bars.
It was main contractor ISG’s second major project for developers AEG and Crosstree Real Estate Partners, following the successful delivery of the ‘Up at The O2’ roof walk experience.
The Kawneer systems were installed over a year, integrated with rendered panels, natural stone, brick slips, copper and polyester powder-coated metal panels, by a team of up to 10 fitters from approved dealer JPJ Installations. The curtain walling was installed with a mixture of single and double-glazed glass units.
Nathmya Saffarini, a senior associate director at architects CallisonRTKL, said: “As shopfront displays are more readily viewed if they are behind single glazing, we had to carefully proportion how much of the shopfront could be single-glazed to achieve this, and double-glazed to maintain the requirements of the thermal model.
“We wrote a performance specification for the landlord-provided shopfronts and the successful tenderer proposed the use of Kawneer. We wanted a simple curtain wall kit of parts where we could vary the frame colour, the extent of solid or glazed stall risers and over panels and have varying pull handles to the doors. This gave us enough variety to ensure a level of variation and individuality in design in groups of shopfronts and maintain thermal performance.
“Although the shopfronts are in an internal environment they still have to perform thermally and achieve air tightness. Sustainability was very important as the shell and core of the development is looking to achieve BREEAM outstanding.”
