Spanish sea views

A historic building in the seaside town of Whitley Bay has undergone a radical renovation and development programme restoring it to its former glory.

Spanish City, which was constructed in 1910, has been given a new lease of life as part of a coastal development plan driven by North Tyneside County Council; the £10 million investment saw the restoration of original features along with modern extensions, and the rotunda atop the building was brought back to life as a focal point of the project. The ceiling of the central space has been removed from the ground floor to allow visitors to see the iconic dome and the architectural detail.

Jim Lowther, sales director at Xtralite, said: “We are proud to have been able to supply products to such a stunning project which will rejuvenate the heart of this seaside community. Our rooflights will allow visitors to make the most of the beautiful sea views and have integrated seamlessly into the heart of the building with ease, balancing practicality and aesthetics perfectly.”

Xtralite supplied products from its X-Glaze range which incorporated a series of self-supporting 37.5mm double glazed units, covering an area of 87m2.

Andrew Coleman, senior project manager at Robertson Construction, main contractors for the project, said: “It was important to flood the building with as much natural light as possible and to capitalise on the stunning sea views afforded from certain aspects of the building.

“Balancing comfort, aesthetics, building regulations and thermal efficiencies can be tricky but the reputation and reliability of Xtralite products allowed us to fulfil all requirements.

“Supply was efficient and technical information and support was readily available, allowing us to stay on track with our timescales to meet the launch deadline of summer 2018. This is a prime example of how modern products can be used in historic restoration programmes to great effect sympathetically embracing the fabric of the building but making it fit for its new intended purpose.”