A 160sqm structurally-glazed rooflight has helped to turn an outdoor courtyard into an indoor performance space at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts created by a multi-million pound refurbishment of Sir Paul McCartney’s former school.
Established by Sir Paul and co-founder Mark Featherstone-Witty, the institute
is one of the preeminent performing arts higher-education institutions in the UK, with almost 1,000 enrolled students, many of them from countries around the world.
The rooflight was created using the Pilkington Planar structural glazing system, using a series of four toughened and laminated glass fins to transfer the weight of the glass to the surrounding structures.
Architect Maggie Mullan explained how the glazing system helped achieve the design vision for the space. She said: “LIPA is a cherished place, and one with a complicated construction history going back to the creation of the original school building in 1837. One of the key challenges for us was to respect the architectural history and coherence of the campus while also creating a new space with its own identity.
“The effect of the rooflight is to transform what was previously a linking outdoor area into a flexible, beautiful space that the institute will be able to use for a host of different purposes for years to come.
“The Pilkington Planar system with its inobtrusive countersunk flush stainless steel point fixings, along with the structural glass fins, allowed us to achieve our aims with minimal aesthetic impact on the much-loved character of the existing building.”
To deliver the required structural strength and energy performance, the roof glazing itself was made up of double glazed units featuring 10 mm thick Pilkington Suncool 66/33 THS outer pane with a 16 mm wide air-filled cavity and an inner pane of 13.5 mm-thick laminated glass.
For extra safety, all the glass was toughened and heat-soak tested (THS). The horizontal fins are made from the Planar SentryGlas System.
Phil McKibben, head of special projects at RED Systems said: “The location of the rooflight in the centre of the building meant accessing the site was an interesting challenge and we worked closely with Aztec to plan the installation and safely hoist the glass over the surrounding buildings to create this fantastic finished structure.”
Gary Stonelake, business development manager at Pilkington UK added: “The Pilkington Plana structural glazing system allows architects to design buildings with reduced sight lines for highly attractive environments with more light and a greater feeling of space.
“This can be achieved without compromising on the structural and thermal performance of the system.”
