Glazing links the past with the present at Egham church

Glazing links the past with the present at Egham church

Pilkington Planar™ structural glazing was specified by St John’s church in Egham to add a new community centre to its landmark Georgian building, originally built in 1817.

In contrast to the historic church, the new community centre is designed in a contemporary style, using natural stonework and curtain walling.

Structural glazing is an excellent way of connecting buildings with different architectural styles, and also provides a dramatic visual impact to the entrance area.

“In the case of an historic building such as St John’s, a glazed link allows the original building to retain its traditional appearance while, creating a route into the new centre that has the bright and airy sense of the outdoors, but which is also warm and sheltered.

A central glazed, 6.5-metre-tall glass box with a partially glazed roof was specified. Pilkington Planar™ structural glazing was chosen to minimise the visual interruptions created by the glazing.

The glass was supported by a combination of steel and glass fins, which helped to further reduce the presence of opaque structural elements.

The central box is connected to the buildings by four one-metre-wide glass wings that sit in grooves in the stonework of the facades, creating a seamless transition.

The double-glazed units used in the atrium feature Pilkington K Glass™. This has an on-line pyrolytic low-e coating designed to reflect heat back into a building, greatly improving its thermal efficiency while also maximising natural daylight. This reduces the amount of heat that radiates out of the space and helps to lower heating bills during the winter months.

Client: St John’s, Egham
Architect: CPL
Main contractor: Neilcott Construction
Glazing installer: Ide Contracting Ltd

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