4 LONGWALK
REFLECTS WELL ON
PROTEUS
Striking high gloss Proteus HR soffit panels and rainscreen
cladding have been used on a futuristic Grade A office
redevelopment next to Heathrow airport, London.
4 Longwalk in Stockley Park has remained faithful to the original
Arup-designed building, with a new dynamic entrance, atrium
and dramatic roof soffit featuring Proteus HR high gloss panels
in RAL 7004 Signal Grey.
Identical Proteus HR high gloss panels were used at the rear of
the building to create a vertical band of rainscreen cladding that
runs up the building over a stair core and ground level entrance
and walkway.
The Proteus HR soffit panels, specified by Barr Gazetas
architects, form a striking, reflective underside of the large 19m
cantilevered roof that shelters the front forecourt and vehicle
drop off point, adding drama to the main entrance.
Proteus design staff engineered the soffit system to achieve the
optimum outcome for the client, architects and installer. This
involved increasing the thickness of the aluminium skin on the
soffit panels, enabling their span to be maximised in line with
the architect’s brief.
Each soffit panel is supported by the Proteus aluminium carrier
system and ancillary components. All Proteus HR cladding
and soffit panels are designed with tight radii at the edges for
superior sightlines. They are anchored to the cantilevered roof
structure with invisible fixings, accentuating the sheer, smooth
high gloss aesthetic.
A link with the original Arup building design is maintained
through a large circular penetration that is punched through the
projecting roof, which also creates additional light and space.
Proteus assisted during design, detailing and installation of this
circular aperture to ensure it integrated perfectly with the soffit.
The design team at Proteus Facades worked with Deepdale
Solutions, the cladding and soffit installer, to create an
engineered solution on this challenging project, with visual
purity of the soffit and rainscreen cladding being the overall
architectural requirement.
Increasing the panel skin thickness also had the effect of
minimising the structural requirement on the soffit system,
meaning Proteus was able to optimise material usage to meet
the overall budget set for this element of the building.
IDENTICAL PROTEUS HR HIGH
GLOSS PANELS WERE USED AT THE
REAR OF THE BUILDING TO CREATE
A VERTICAL BAND OF RAINSCREEN
CLADDING THAT RUNS UP THE
BUILDING OVER A STAIR CORE AND
GROUND LEVEL ENTRANCE AND
WALKWAY.