Recon. Acid Etched - Techrete

5 Hanover Quay

5 Hanover Quay, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2

5 Hanover Quay Headline Facts:

484 reconstructed stone panels, covering 5,574 square meters.

Contractor : Bennett Construction

Architect : RKD Architects

The Finer Details :

5 Hanover Quay stands in an enviable position in the heart of the prestigious South Dublin Docklands, in an area dubbed “silicon docks”. Situated at the impressive waterfront of the Grand Canal Basin and on its northern boundary, it boasts high-tech neighbours such as Google, Facebook and LinkedIn. The aim of this building is to be an instrumental component of Dublin’s Dockland Regeneration.

RKD architects were appointed by APTIV Global Operations Ltd. to design this 161,300 sq ft, impressively, unique building. One of the main elements of the design brief of this seven storey building, was a strong emphasis on quality. One of the design elements decided on was to feature, high quality, reconstructed stone outer frame. With concrete being such an integral part of the design, the façade had to demonstrate an iconic design element. RKD worked closely with Techrete as they deemed Techrete to possess the specialist skill and experience of working with concrete to the highest quality.

With such a strong design element placed on the use of concrete, the mix chosen had to be mindful of the projects location, to ensure it was placed appropriately within the surrounding architecture of this dense urban docklands area. The mix chosen was Techrete’s C190. This light, timelessly sophisticated mix, when lightly acid etched post production, resembles natural limestone. Due to the nature of the columns a steel column mould was used to guarantee a blemish free finish to the three exposed faces. The architectural precast element consisted of reconstructed stone columns, beams, wall panels and mullions .

The installation of the façade was undertaken with two tower cranes was a typical installation operation one would expect from such a project. Due to the nature of the columns which spanned across two floors the mullions were engineered so that they could be rotated on site without the use of any mechanical tilting equipment. The eastern elevation, which is opposite an adjacent site and over an underground car park raised significant challenges including the application of mastic. Techrete’s site team overcame these challenges using a spider MEWP, which allowed the application of mastic to areas that otherwise may have proven inaccessible.

Opus, 6 Hanover Quay

Opus, 6 Hanover Quay, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2

Opus, 6 Hanover Quay Headline Facts:

Award Winner : ‘Highly Commended’ – Irish Concrete Society Awards 2020

850 reconstructed stone panels, covering 6,700 square meters.

Contractor : Cairn Homes

Architect : McCauley Daye O’Connell

The Finer Details :

Opus 6, Hanover Quay, is a landmark residential development of 120 apartments over 2,600 sqm, located in the heart of Dublin’s Grand Canal Square district. Having gained the nickname “Silicon Docks”, this area has been regenerated from a working industrial dock to become Dublin’s premier business and technology district. The design was developed as a response to the context of the site taking influence from the maritime history, evoked in the dynamic curvilinear form defined by the fluid black horizontal precast bands stretching across glazed façade.

The building cantilevers over the footpath at the front and rear, floating above the tall glass walls. This horizontal band and loop design extends from the waterfront around elegant curved corners at Hanover and Chocolate Park and into and around the ground level and individual lobby entrance door of the inner courtyard. The curtain wall façade with continuous glazed balustrades and curvilinear polished reconstituted stone, reinforces the maritime aesthetic that was key to the scheme. The heavy black, curved panels appear to float over-head, giving the building an exciting and distinctive dynamic.

Techrete were engaged by Carin Homes to design, manufacture and install the precast elements of the striking facade of this McCauley Daye O’Connell designed project. Techrete were chosen for our efficiency in terms of material use, time and quality control that this highly engineered building required, which would otherwise be difficult to achieve.

Techrete’s black mix with a polished finish consists of black basalt, sands and aggregates. Additionally, white cement was used to guarantee consistency of colour and finish between the panels. The elegant tight curved panels were all hand polished. Specially designed moulds were created to overcome the complex geometry of the black precast facade and contrasting white balcony designs. In addition, the panels could only be installed after the glazing which required precision handling. The panels were erected with tight tolerances as any slight movement could have caused breakages to the glazed curtain wall elements.

The concrete floors above ground level consist of post-tensioned slabs, which allows for slabs which use over 20% less RC concrete to be utilised throughout, representing a significant reduction in the overall carbon footprint. This highly engineered construction further allowed the building to cantilever beyond the extent of the ground floor, while still supporting the dynamic precast stone loops providing views and forms, that would otherwise have been unachievable.

DCU Lettering

DCU Lettering, Dublin City University Glasnevin, Dublin 9

DCU Lettering Headline Facts:

12 reconstructed stone units.

Contractor : McKeon Group

Architect : Collins Maher Martin Architects / ZAP Architects

Blackrock Clinic

Blackrock Clinic, Rock Road, Blackrock, Co. Dublin

Blackrock Clinic Headline Facts:

1,557 square meters of reconstructed stone panels.

Contractor : John Sisk & Son

Architect : David Jordan Architects

Aviva Stadium

Aviva Stadium, Landsdowne Road, Dublin 4

Aviva Stadium Headline Facts:

450 reconstructed stone panels, covering 4,500 square meters.

Contractor : John Sisk & Son

Architect : Scott Tallon Walker

Two St. Peter’s Square

Two St. Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 3NQ

Two St. Peter’s Square Headline Facts:

546 reconstructed stone panels, covering 7,210 square meters.

Contractor : Laing O’Rourke

Architect : Simpson Haugh

Award : ‘Highly Commended’ – Concrete Society Awards 2018.

Judges comments :

“Visual appearance was a key driver in a very sensitive historic area of the city. The building does not look out of place at all, despite the time differences in construction. The decorative façades are very special and could only be done in precast concrete or an army of stone masons. Materials are standard but the complexity and quality of the finish is exceptional. The difficulty in forming these complex and varied units should not be underestimated. They are true three-dimensional concrete sculptures used as office window façades.

External column cladding was complex, multiply curved and feels appropriate for the location. The complexity, level of overall detail and quality is excellent. The joints of the units were lined up to show geometrical symmetry from vertical face to horizontal soffit. The judges were very impressed by this project. The decorative façades are superb and it would not be surprising if this level of decorative façade became more popular.“

The Finer Details:

2 St. Peters Square, is a truly distinguished building with its 12 floors rising majestically over the surrounding streetscape. The gable end faces onto Princess St and the building is adorned with delicate filigree tracery panels. Drawing inspiration from the Lancaster Rose which adorns the county flag and from the Cotton Bud fountain, the tracery panels were designed to incorporate these elements whilst drawing on further inspiration from the Town Hall extension stair turrets. The tracery panels are both decorative and functional and offer natural shading from the full height glazing which is situated behind them.

This choice of mix with a polished finish gives the building a timeless elegance appropriate to its prime location amongst such buildings of historical importance. The panels on the main façades embraced the ethos of off-site construction. The windows were installed at Techrete production facility and were delivered and installed as one complete unit . This resulted in a reduction in programme time and in the amount of trades required on site. This project won ‘Highly Commended’ at the Concrete Society Awards 2018.

One St. Peter’s Square

One St. peter’s Square, Manchester M2 3AE

One St. Peter’s Square Headline Facts :

584 reconstructed stone panels, covering 6,800 square meters

Contractor : Carillion PLC

Architect : Glenn Howells Architects

Two New Ludgate

Two New Ludgate, 26 Old Bailey, London EC4M 7HW

Two New Ludgate Headline Facts:

1,230 GRC panels covering 5,000 square meters.

Contractor : Skanska / Gartner

Architect : Sauerbruch Hutton

One New Ludgate

One New Ludgate, 60 Ludgate Hill, London EC4M 7AW

One New Ludgate Headline Facts:

1,850 reconstructed stone panels covering 5,900 square meters.

Contractor : Skanska / Scheldebouw

Architect : Fletcher Priest

The Finer Details :

1 New Ludgate, is a retail and commercial development located two blocks east of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and was named the City of London Building of the Year 2016. The system was designed to be installed without the necessity of external access. The vertical fins were supported by a bespoke unitised curtain walling system and they were installed on-site with the glazing. The horizontal ledges are supported on the concrete fins, acting as the horizontal restraint for the cladding as a whole and without interfacing with the glass cladding weather line.

The ground level columns and upper face of the spandrels are polished, which allows for better weathering and lower maintenance. The vertical fins and bottom face of the spandrels are grit blasted for a homogeneous street view. The mix has been specifically designed using Spanish dolomite aggregates and pigments, to achieve this unique impact in the City of London. Awards for this project include RICS London Award 2016, ‘Best Commercial Building’ and ‘City of London Building of the Year’ 2016.

St Barts Hospital

St. Barts Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE

St. Barts Hospital Headline Facts :

680 natural stone faced panels, covering 6,100 square meters.

Contractor : Skanska

Architect : HOK

Regent’s Place

Regent’s Place, 338 Euston Rd, London NW1 3BT

Regent’s Place Headline Facts :

580 stone faced and reconstructed stone panels covering 6,100 square meters.

Contractor : Lendlease

Architect : Terry Farrell Architects

Paternoster Square

Paternoster Square, London

Paternoster Square Headline Facts:

630 natural stone faced and reconstructed stone panels, covering 6,100 square meters.

Contractor : Bovis Lendlease

Architect : McCormack Jamieson Prichard

Pan Peninsula

Pan Peninsula, Isle of Dogs, London

Pan Peninsula Headline Facts:

1,900 reconstructed stone panels, covering 18,000 square meters.

Contractor : Ballymore Properties LTD

Architect : Skidmore Owings and Merrill

Urbanest (T6)

Urbanest, Canal Reach, Kings Cross, London N1C 4BD

Urbanest, Kings Cross Headline Facts:

1,000 reconstructed stone panels, covering 8,000 square meters.

Contractor : Mansells (Balfour Beatty)

Architect : Glenn Howells

The Finer Details :

This 26 storey student accommodation dominates the Kings Cross skyline. Techrete designed, built and installed, 1,000 precast panels covering 8,000 sq m of the facade. The lower levels, in a dark acid etched grey, are complemented by the Portland look-a-like, with two varying depths of a grit blasted finish to the panels at the upper levels.

The installation of the precast took only 34 weeks. The overall construction time was reduced as the installation of the panels (using a telescopic crawler crane) allowed an earlier site start date, whilst the reinforced concrete frame was still under construction. The downgrading of cranage due to the proximity of the Channel Tunnel Railway Line (CTRL) on the northern boundary of the site was an added constraint for the project. A monorail was required for the installation of the panels on the north elevation immediately adjacent to the boundary fence of the CTRL. This was also undertaken whilst the frame was being constructed above.

2 Pancras Square (B4)

2 Pancras Square, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AG

2 Pancras Square Headline Facts:

427 reconstructed stone panels, covering 5,907 units.

Contractor : BAM

Architect : Allies & Morrison

The Finer Details :

This 11 storey, 130,000 sq ft office building was designed by Allies & Morrison. The design of the architectural precast cladding gives it an interesting rhythm. As the building rises, the precast mullion sections reduce in width but deepen in depth. This was achieved by specially designed adaptable moulds. The curtain walling / glazing was prefixed to the frame, above level 2, in advance of the cladding. A delicate installation operation ensued and the fixing system had to be adjusted to the depth of the reveals. In order to increase the speed of erection, reduce cost and improve general efficiency, some of the panels were 2 storey high “F” panels. This allowed for a rapid rate of enclosure to be achieved.

The immediate impression of this building is of mullions and spandrels but a keen eye can see upon closer inspection that the mullions actually decrease in width towards the top of the building and the windows at these levels are set back further to create deeper reveals and create greater solar shading. The key to the manufacture of this was mould adaptability. To ensure minimal staining from rainwater on the face of the building, the spandrels were designed to guide the water towards a vertical drainage system in the mullions, which keeps the water off the face of the building.

The concrete mix contains some Spanish Dolomite aggregate which adds a sparkle to the façade. The uppermost level has an unusual feature of a winter garden. This comprises of 3 storey high colonnades with free standing cantilever structures. This is a very uncommon feature and structural modelling was utilised in the design process. Due to the size of the panels, some challenges were encountered during the installation process. Prior to installation these panels (10m in length) had to be rotated with the use of the tower crane and then hoisted into position.

1 Pancras Square (B2)

1 Pancras Square, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AG

1 Pancras Square, Kings Cross Headline Facts:

1,065 reconstructed stone and cast iron column panels covering 3,586 square meters.

Contractor : BAM

Architect : David Chipperfield

The Finer Details :

Techrete were engaged in 2012 to supply and erect the external façade of this 55,000 sq m office building. In addition to supplying the precast cladding panels, balconies and GRC soffits, Techrete were also engaged to design, coordinate and erect the cast iron columns, due to the proximity and interface with the cladding. These were manufactured by Hargreaves at their facility in Halifax, West Yorkshire and were then transported on specially adapted trailer frames and were subsequently painted and erected by Techrete.

The precast cladding and other features were to be erected outboard of the completed curtain wall cladding and this presented handling challenges and also required a bespoke fixing system. Due to its proximity to the rail lines, Techrete had to contend with a downgrading of all craneage by 25%. The windows were pre-installed and external access for this installation was via MEWPs. Above level 6 mast climbers were used.

The GRC soffits were up to 2.8m wide and specially adapted trailers, frames and lifting equipment were used to assist site handling of the panels in under-slung areas which were not accessible by the tower crane. Trial lifts were carried out at the factory, prior to delivery to site. A tower crane was used for the majority of the installation with the exception of the balconies which, due to their weight, were hoisted by a mobile crane. To ensure the uniformity of finish Techrete undertook to construct the paving and steps beneath the colonnade.

The reconstituted stone mix chosen was to complement the adjacent building B4 (Two Pancras Square) and a warm acid etched finish was used to achieve this intent.

Fitzroy Place

Fitzroy Place, Mortimer St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3PW

Fitzroy Place Headline Facts:

1,187 brick-faced, natural stone and reconstructed stone panels, covering 10,176 square meters.

Contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine

Architect : Sheppard Robson

Crossharbour

Cross Harbour, Isle of Dogs, London E14 9QD

Cross Harbour Headline Facts:

500 reconstructed stone panels, covering 5,000 square meters.

Contractor : Ballymore

Architect: Fosters and Partners

Burntwood School

Burntwood Lane, London SW17 0AQ

Burntwood School Headline Facts:

660 reconstructed stone panels, covering 8,581 square meters.

Contractor : Lendlease

Architect : Allford Hall Monaghan Morris

Watch Installation Video here:

Video credit : AHMM

Watch Manufacturing Video here:

Video Credit : AHMM

Blackfriar’s Road

Blackfriar’s Road, London

Blackfriar’s Road Headline Facts:

600 reconstructed stone panels, covering 5,600 square meters.

Contractor : McAleer & Rushe

Architect : Consarc