A large gothic window of the Grade One listed, 19th Century Rochdale Town Hall has been given a 21st century fire protection upgrade using Promat Systemglas as part of a multi-million pound restoration project.
Architects Douglas Insall Associates wanted to ensure the window’s ornate stonework and glass would be effectively protected in the event of a fire and, along with main contractor HH Smith & Son approached Promat UK.
As Promat UK has full control of the raw material sourcing, manufacturing and installation work on every project of this kind, it is in a position to offer a 360-degree ‘wheel of assurance’ on the completed project. This provides a certificate of conformity to the client on project completion, in line with the golden thread, which confirms the fire rated glazing has been manufactured and installed in line with the specified design and best practice, for additional peace of mind.
Rated Solutions had to overcome a number of installation challenges on this complex site, not least accessibility to the window’s second floor position. The glass and frame had to be carefully winched into place to avoid damage, which required coordination with HH Smith & Son’s Project Manager, Chris Purkiss.
The fire consultant advising on the glazing installation was Jerry Quayle, who said: “Given that national significance of Rochdale Town Hall, it was crucial that any measures taken to improve fire safety were handled sensitively to preserve the aesthetics and to ensure its original character and features were retained. In addition to this feature window, I am also working with the heritage doors on the building to remediate them sympathetically to provide the required fire resistance for a building of this type.”
“The solution developed by Promat here met the performance and design criteria extremely well, and is a key part of a passive fire protection strategy which works to maintain the safety of people should they need to evacuate the building in the event of a fire, and protect this unique building.”
https://www.promat.com/en-gb/industry/markets/fire-rated-glass/
