Hadrian's Tower

“The façade is a crucial aspect of Hadrian’s Tower, especially given its location on a primary entry route into the city”, explains Paul Rigby, partner and architect at Faulkner Browns Architects. Achieving the right aesthetic was imperative. Maximum enjoyment of the panoramic view is guaranteed by incorporating full-height glazing, an element which truly enhances the building’s experience.

Paul Rigby: “Hadrian’s Tower makes a positive and powerful contribution to the city’s skyline as it was designed as a 'stepped series of volumes’ to mediate between the different sizes and ages of surrounding buildings and respect the scale of the street".

The bespoke unitised façade system provides occupants with access to expansive views, while contributing to the luxurious ambiance of the interior spaces. “With the extensive use of glass, we managed to flood the spaces with natural light: an absolute boost to the comfort and wellbeing of the residents”, the architect adds.

With a collaborative working programme, Reynaers Aluminium aims to streamline decision-making processes for façade systems. “With this approach we have a framework to work closely together with architects and building professionals, which allows us to fully understand the unique needs of each project”, says Helen Williams, Marketing Executive at Reynaers Aluminium UK. “Given the urban centre location of this particular project, it was crucial to choose a system that could be prefabricated offsite.” A bespoke element façade, based on ConceptWall 65, turned out to be a perfect match. It is a structurally glazed, unitised façade system that supports heavy glass weights of 250 kg per unit, which answered Hadrian's Tower's high-performance needs. The specific elements featured in this project were neatly fabricated by Reynaers Aluminium partner EVB Facades in Ukraine.

Another great asset of integrating Reynaers Aluminium systems is that it ensures compliance with the British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) credits. Additionally, these systems align with other global standards like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

In Hadrian’s Tower, not only the visual experience of residents – offering expansive external views – was considered. The systems also significantly impact the overall building performance. “Let it be clear that architects and builders can truly depend on Reynaers Aluminium for high-quality glazing systems that not only meet but exceed performance expectations, while supporting broader environmental goals as well”, concludes Williams.

In the end, all partners came together with unwavering dedication to deliver the highest quality possible. As a result, in 2022, Hadrian’s Tower was awarded a coveted Tall Building Award in the ‘Best Tall Building Facade and Fenestration Engineering Project’ category.