Hull College's new Faculty of Media and the Performing Arts is proving something of a showcase for Darby Glass and its own brand of curved double glazed units

With its sweeping curved glazing, Hull College's new Faculty of Media and the Performing Arts is a dynamic example of exciting use of glass in architecture.

The new faculty in George Street is proving something of a showcase for Darby Glass and its expertise in producing curved double glazed units, in this case with silicon edging.

The units consist of 6mm Pilkington K and 6mm clear toughened glass. They have been used to create a profile something akin to the famous Flatiron building in New York. Called ‘Toughbend', the curved units feature 1500mm radius pressed bends for better visual quality.

Overall, Darby Glass's Scunthorpe plant produced 53 square metres of the Toughbend curved units - some 1931mm x 2m high and others 2037mm x 2m high. Meanwhile, a further 350 square metres of flat units were also produced at 1886cm x 2m high.

‘This was a really nice job for us,' says Darby's Technical Manager, Chris O'Connell, ‘not only from a manufacturing point of view, where it's good to be able to show what we can do, but also from an architectural point of view.'

‘Adventurous is feasible'

He adds: ‘So often architects can be persuaded that the adventurous route is not feasible or is too expensive, but in this case DLA Architecture overcame any cost worries and the end result has proved they were right to do so.'

From an installation standpoint, James Moss of installers, Commercial Systems International of Hull, was pleased with the quality of the units as the installation had to be carried out to a very tight programme.

‘We've worked with Darby Glass before,' said James Moss ‘and had no qualms about quality. Darby had no problem working to an agreed deadline with the work being completed on time.'


Source

Glass Age