SPOTLIGHT ON: CASE STUDY
Dekton is present in
Archway Tower façade
Vantage Point Archway Tower is a 17-storey building, which is located above Archway underground tube
station, and was originally completed in 1963. Here, we take a look at the project in closer detail, in which
Dekton cladding by Cosentino was specified
The ultra-compact surface, Dekton
by Cosentino has been selected
for use for the Vantage Point
Archway Tower redevelopment
project in London. The tower is a
17-storey building, which is located above
Archway underground tube station, and
was originally completed in 1963. The
building was initially clad with glazing,
spandrel and precast concrete panels, and
was used as an office building.
Redevelopment of the building by
developers Essential Living, in collaboration
with Grid Architects, to create
private rental apartments involved internal
refurbishment and over-cladding
of the existing façade with an overall
estimated value of £30 million. There
are a number of locally listed buildings
in the surrounding area, and therefore
the selection of an appropriate material
that could economically meet all the
requirements of construction and also
blend with the heritage surroundings
“The re-cladding has improved the quality of the tower’s design and
facilitated the reuse of the building for residential use”
was important. Dekton Danae finish
was selected as it provided all the features,
characteristics and finish that was
needed on this scheme.
In addition to its aesthetic value,
Dekton offers high resistance to ultraviolet
rays, frost and thawing, as well as
colour stability and high stain resistance,
which results in it being an ideal
material for use on exterior façades.
The design of the Dekton cladding
panels on the main elevations follows
a regular grid of openings. They have
a vertical emphasis above the 2nd floor
with the vertically proportioned bays
running across; this has significantly enhanced
the look of the old tower and has
given a distinctive appearance, symbolising
regeneration of the wider area.
Dekton differentiates the building
The design of
the Dekton
cladding
panels on
the main
elevations
follows a
regular grid of
openings
elements from the main elevations and
has helped to express the structural
form of the Tower. The re-cladding has
improved the quality of the tower’s
design and facilitated the reuse of the
building for residential use, whilst not
disturbing the look and feel of the area.
Due to limited space on the site,
existing concrete panels were removed
and cleared using a mast climbing
system, with the new Dekton Danae
rainscreen cladding and spandrel
panels being installed the same way.
An undercut anchor system was used to
fix the panels on the secondary support
structure.
w www.dekton.com
34 www.rcimag.co.uk November 2018
/www.dekton.com
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