A new energy centre in the heart of west London has been given a dramatic and eye-catching appearance thanks to the use of a portfolio of façade products provided by Sto. The company’s StoVentec R rainscreen system, with StoVentec A render carrier boards and bespoke 3-dimensional StoDeco profiles have been used to focus attention on the new Olympia London’s Energy Centre, which forms part of a major urban regeneration project in the capital.

Designed jointly by SPPARC, the Olympia London’s Energy Centre building sits on a central London site.

“It’s also an industrial building, and the architectural design needed to reflect both this, and the location, yet still deliver a striking appearance which made a strong statement,” comments Sto account manager, Jo Ebel. “The StoDeco Profiles provided an ideal way to satisfy these requirements. We worked closely with the other parties involved to create bespoke profiles which matched their specific requirements, and were used to give real character to the building.”

The StoVentec stainless steel and aluminium sub-construction was installed onto the substrate of the new multi-storey building by specialist contractor, Craft Interior Ltd, before some 14002m of StoVentec A render carrier boards were fixed to this sub-construction. StoVentec render carrier boards are ideally suited to rainscreen applications and consisting of 96% recycled glass, provide an environmentally-friendly solution. Stolit K1.5 acrylic render was then applied to the boards to provide a rugged and resilient exterior finish.

To complete the façade design, custom-made StoDeco profiles were fixed to the StoVentec system to create a unique, 3-dimensional shell-motif pattern for the elevation of the new energy centre. Some sections of the building incorporate ventilation louvres, and the shell-shaped profiles had to extend over these areas to maintain the façade design.

“We couldn’t obstruct the air flow through the louvres by installing the StoVentec boards over them, so we worked closely with the louvre manufacturer to design a series of aluminium plates which replicate the shell shapes. The StoDeco profile shells were then fixed to the aluminium plates which in turn could be installed over the ventilation louvres without obstructing the air flow” adds Jo Ebel. “The result is that the 3-dimensional shell design extends seamlessly across each façade and this makes the ventilation louvres far less visible than they might otherwise have been. It’s a great example of how Sto is able to work closely with architects and contractors to create a genuinely bespoke solution for each project.”

Available in both standard and individual designs, StoDeco profiles are manufactured from Verolith – a unique, lightweight and easily workable, natural material which is then machined to create custom shapes or decorative panels. They allow the architect to exercise their creativity by adding individual detailing to a façade. Because they are lightweight, this makes them easy to handle on-site, and they have excellent resistance to damage and the effects of weathering.

A final surface coat of StoColor Maxicryl façade paint was applied to the render finish and StoDeco profiles in a dark StoColor 37100. This acrylate paint combines a high covering power and reliable colour-fastness, ensuring that the building will retain its attractive appearance well into the future.

Once complete, the wider £700 million Olympia redevelopment will provide a new cultural hub for the creative fields including art, music and entertainment. It will house performing arts spaces, community rehearsal rooms, affordable work units, restaurants, commercial offices, 2 new hotels and a new 1500 seat theatre together with independent retail outlets.