Snow Hill, the second largest train station in Birmingham, used by a large majority of the city’s commuters, and described as a principal part of the city’s transport infrastructure; has recently undergone a drastic refurbishment with the help of Pilkington Glass.
Both the station’s waiting rooms and lifts, which provide access to all platforms, have been revamped with Pilkington Planar™, with an aim of providing a lighter, more pleasant visual experience inside the station.
Ian Cartwright, Managing Director, Bridgetown Developments Limited, identifies how "Snow Hill Station is situated above and over Queensway, (a named applied to a number of roads in central Birmingham) so one of the biggest challenges was moving the glass panels, and then lifting these onto the respective platforms." The versatility of Pilkington Planar™, however ensured that the architects could construct a safe and inviting environment for its passengers whilst causing minimal disruption.
The Pilkington Planar™ structural glazing system has a proven track record of providing a solution for some of the most demanding of applications. In the past it has enabled architects to create complete glass envelopes for buildings, with panes of uninterrupted structural glass in virtually any orientation.
The planned refurbishment originally included the use of large single panes of glass sized 2m x 3.6m, but was later revised to include the optimum sized glass of 2m x 2.3m. This alteration occurred for two main reasons; firstly any damage to such a large pane of glass would have been extremely difficult to replace, and secondly, if any additional glass was required in the future, it would be an arduous task to negotiate the glass through the station and entrance to be fitted.
Pilkington Planar™, which carries a 12 year product and performance warranty, was specified, due its aesthetic quality and strength, as well as its impressive durability. The design versatility of the glazing system and range of glass fittings, as well as support structures helps facilitates a wide range of architectural design solutions on a number of challenging construction projects.
For an overview on the Pilkington Planar™ glazing system, plus links to technical information, as well as video links and project references, please click here.