Project Spotlight: The Point, Canary Wharf, London
Specified by: ARC:MC, London
Project Overview
Occupying a waterfront location at Millwall Inner Dock, The Point is an impressive Tier 3 data centre designed to meet the secure data storage requirements of the occupiers of Canary Wharf, including some of the world’s most famous financial services brands.
Delivered as a design and build project by North East contractor, Metnor Construction, the £21 million scheme is a development by TH Real Estate, one of the world’s largest property investment management firms.
External elevations of the new three-storey development have been clad with natural granite from Shackerley’s SureClad® ventilated facade system range, resulting in a striking building that complements the quality and high-end aesthetics of other buildings in the immediate vicinity.
Design Requirements
The cladding system had to address the complexities of the building design and provide a robust finish with a prestige aesthetic. All elements of the building fabric were selected to meet a BREEAM Excellent design requirement.
Mike Dunn from Metnor Construction detailed the aesthetic criteria: “The development is in a very prominent location and there was a requirement from both the client and the planning authority to ensure that the facade reflected the calibre of its surroundings and demonstrated genuine visual synergy with the existing adjacent stone-clad property. Shackerley worked with our design and procurement team from the earliest stages of the specification to ensure the materials used meet the aesthetic, durability and functionality requirements of the building, resulting in the use of the SureClad® system using natural granite in two colourways.”
A key aspect of the facade design was the incorporation of large integral louvred panels at a low level. These panels were to cover large ventilation grates and were to be fabricated in the core facade material for visual continuity.
Materials Used
Two highly polished natural stone facade panels were specified: Ossa OS05, a white granite with silver and dark grey speckling and Rava RV03, a black granite with grey marbling.
The lighter colourway forms the main facades that frame the dark-tinted glazing and the integral louvred panels. The black granite has been used to create standout feature entrances.
Because of the weight of the facade panels, the SureClad® Hang On system was used to provide a robust and sturdy installation.
