Hadrian’s Tower beat off tough competition to be awarded the ‘Best Tall Building Façade and Fenestration Engineering Project’ at the Tall Buildings Awards 2022, recently held in London.
The 82-metre tower is one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and has transformed the city skyline. With an exceptionally high quality architectural finish, the building provides residents with panoramic views – made possible through the use of Reynaers’ ConceptWall 65 (CW 65) unitised system which combines optimum performance and sustainability while achieving an iconic appearance.
Hadrian’s Tower maximises the potential of its location in a constrained city-centre site. Home to 162 luxury apartments, a premium cocktail bar and fine dining restaurant, the 82-metre tower is at the heart of the city’s bold regeneration scheme. By building up, this project has demonstrated the viability of tall buildings in the region and answered a local need for housing in a modern, innovative way.
The constraints of building in a city centre location led Faulkner Browns Architects to specify Reynaers’ CW 65 system, because it met both the aesthetic and performance requirements, but can also be constructed off-site in modular panels – which can then be erected in units on site, radically reducing installation time. This curtain wall system meets the highest performance requirements in water and air tightness and wind load resistance. The building has also achieved the appropriate British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) credit.
The CW 65 system is available with different insulation levels, answering to the appropriate requirements of the building, and other environmental assessment systems such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. In practice, this allows architects to rely on high-quality systems which achieve the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology (CWCT) test standards, while supporting their project programme, timescale, and budget.
Dan Gleeson, Head of Commercial Sales at Reynaers, said: “We’ve been involved in iconic tall building projects across the world since 1965. We’re delighted that the ambitious architectural finish and design of Hadrian’s Tower has been recognised for its excellence in engineering in façade systems.
“The unitised curtain walling system has enabled the architects to achieve panoramic views and a distinctive aesthetic. This has been done without compromising on thermal performance, quality, accuracy, water and air tightness and strength while accommodating building movement which is a key factor in tall buildings.
“Our unitised façade systems provide slim profile designs for architects which meet the highest performance requirements. Working in city centre locations on constrained sites is an engineering challenge, so prefabrication of the systems offsite in a climate-controlled environment under strict quality assurance significantly speeded up the installation time without compromising on accuracy or safety.”
Reynaers also sponsored the ‘Best Tall Building Architect’ category of this year’s Tall Buildings Awards in a move that demonstrates its continuous commitment to a vital part of the industry.
