Pilkington Planar and Optiwhite, along with Suncool coating were used to create a wall of glass, offering maximum views at the refurbishment of Fosse Park, Leicestershire, one of Britain’s out of town shopping parks.
The centrepiece of the Crown Estate-owned scheme, is a retail terrace which is anchored at each end by a 90,000 sq. ft major retail store. Its whole length features double-height glass shopfronts, giving maximum uninterrupted views in and out by having no opaque framing or other support below 2.7 m in height.
The wall of glass was made using Pilkington Planar structural glazing, which uses low-profile stainless-steel bolts and glass fins to hold double-glazed units in place without the need for a traditional framing system.
The quality of the views was further enhanced by using low-iron Optiwhite glass to give an almost completely colourless appearance to both the face glass and the 15 mm thick supporting fins.
The scheme also features a stand-alone Next store which is the third biggest in its portfolio and a major flagship for the brand. The extensive glazing ensures that daylight is visible from any point in the store.
Double glazed units were used throughout the scheme with a combination of air-filled and argon-filled cavities to improve the levels of insulation achieved by the glazing.
For the southerly glazed areas of the scheme that are exposed to direct sunlight, either solar-control coatings or laminated interlayers were used.
The double-height glazing that fronts the main terrace also features a Pilkington Suncool 70/40 coating. This means that 70% of visible light is allowed through the glass but only 40% of the sun’s energy can pass through.
