Stadium filler

Senior Architectural Systems’ products have helped deliver two new football stadiums.

At the new LNER Community Stadium in York, Senior provided a high-performance fenestration package comprising its SF52 slimline aluminium curtain walling, SPW600 aluminium windows, and SPW501 and SD commercial doors, all fabricated and installed by Elite Aluminium Systems.

Designed by Holmes Miller Architects, the new 8,000 all seater stadium will be home to York City Football Club and York City Knights Rugby League Club and features a range of community leisure facilities including a flexible hub space for local businesses and partners.

Adjacent to the new stadium complex are retail and food outlets and a new cinema.

The versality of Senior’s product range enabled the project team to meet the various requirements for the building and its different users: the slim sightlines of the SF52 aluminium curtain wall systems maximise the use of natural light and create a striking external facade for the stadium, while the windows have been specified in a combination of manual side-opening casement style for easier cleaning, and top hung windows with electric automatic opening vents to provide natural ventilation.

Senior’s automatic SD commercial doors provide touchless entry for the main entrance areas, with high performance SPW501 doors specified throughout.

The flexibility offered by the SF52 aluminium curtain walling also enabled Senior and Elite Aluminium Systems to develop a facade of the new Brentford Stadium in west London. Installed to the main entrance, the system was modified to offer an 80mm sightline with a 29mm glazing rebate, complete with specially fabricated pressure plates and caps, and was integrated with Senior’s automatic SD aluminium commercial doors.

Prior to installation on site, the bespoke curtain wall solution was subjected to stringent weather tests to ensure that the developed profiles and connections were suitable for use on the stadium. These tests were conducted successfully by the Elite team at the Vinci Technology Centre in Bedfordshire using a large sample curtain wall screen, with the modified SF52 system passing first time.

On the pitch side elevation, Senior’s standard SF52 system was installed alongside the Pure Commercial Door, which is Senior’s largest and strongest system. To complete the fenestration package, Senior’s SPW600 aluminium casement windows were installed and fabricated to include automatic opening vents.

Designed by AFL Architects and constructed by Buckingham Group, the new stadium for Brentford Football Club and London Irish rugby club boasts a capacity for 17,250 spectators. The new stadium sits at the heart of the wider regeneration of the area and is bordered by a new public square, which comprises cafes, restaurants and shops, in addition to a residential development.

www.seniorarchitecturalsystems.co.uk