1 Valentine Place
1 Valentine Place is a 30,000 sqft, Grade A office building on Blackfriars Road, London. It won the 2013 New London Architectural Award for an office building and was shortlisted for the 2014 RIBA Awards (South London Region). It features a unique exterior envelope which provides solar shading for this south-facing building.
Key to that was the external façade design. High-performance solar-control glazing was specified along with 50 bespoke aluminium fins to effectively shade the building at all times of day. Anolok® II Medium Blue-Grey B715 was chosen to provide a fade-free finish for these elements.
Building orientation provided a unique challenge
London is a heat island and buildings have to work harder to shed excess heat. For south-facing buildings in high-traffic locations such as 1 Valentine Place, it becomes a real challenge for designers.
That’s especially true for Grade A office buildings which are required to perform to the highest level at all times. User comfort is paramount and the architects had to get creative to ensure the internal environment was manageable.
The external façade played the key role in this. The exposed concrete frame was clad in anodised aluminium and high-performance glazing. In combination, these two elements ensured the building still offered exceptional views of London, while ensuring internal temperatures were controlled.
Choosing a stable & durable aluminium finish
Our Anolok® II Medium Blue-Grey B715 finish was chosen for the aluminium elements of the building. There are many benefits to an anodised finish, but one in particular stood out for this project. Anolok® II Medium Blue-Grey B715 is completely fade-free in all conditions – including when exposed to high heat, direct sunlight and strong UV levels.
The finish will stay consistent and as-new for decades, even on a south-facing building like 1 Valentine Place. It is also durable in the face of higher pollution levels generated by the traffic along Blackfriars Road, one of the busiest highways in London.
Being able to offer that durability and aesthetic beauty in those conditions is one thing. Doing so while also guaranteeing the finish would need only minimal maintenance and cleaning to maintain its performance is another. Our Anolok® II Blue-Grey range offers all of that and more, making it the ideal choice for 1 Valentine Place.
Anolok® II Medium Blue-Grey B715
Anolok® II Medium Blue-Grey B715 is an attractive and durable anodised aluminium finish which is guaranteed for decades.
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