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FAADE CASE STUDY | PADDINGTON SQUARE FRAMING FINESSE The faade at Paddington Square in West London is anything but straightforward. Maces Ovi Mazareanu, and WSPs Michele Sauchelli and Serena Gugliotta, describe how the clients demand for energy efficiency and performance led to the design team taking a collaborative and innovative approach FAADE PROJECT TEAM Client: Sellar Lead designer: Renzo Piano Building Workshop Executive architect: Adamson Associates International Main contractor: Mace Faade engineer: WSP Cladding subcontractor: Focchi Ltd. A highly transparent faade has been fundamental in realising the architectural concept for the Paddington Square mixed-office development in West London. Joost Moolhuijzen, of the architect Renzo Piano Building Workshop, describes the design as a clear cube floating above the ground with a crystalline faade, like a fine lace of steel and glass that echoes the arches and skylights of Brunels nearby railway station. The 14-storey building is the centrepiece of the regeneration zone around Paddington Station. Its design has an emphasis on wellbeing and sustainability, and there is 350,000ft2 of light-filled workspace across , plus 80,000ft2 of shops, restaurants and cafes, and a 1.35-acre public piazza. The building is also integrated with a new Bakerloo line underground entrance and ticket hall. It features West Londons highest rooftop restaurant, a retail street with al fresco dining, and an elegant, standalone pavilion spanning three levels that includes a rooftop terrace overlooking the piazza. A transparent faade was essential to make the architects vision of maximising daylight into shops and offices a reality, enhancing the wellbeing of those working in the building. Faade overview Internal doors in the inner skin of the faade allow for cavity cleaning and maintenance 30 February 2023 www.cibsejournal.com The faade comprises three main cladding types: bespoke unitised curtain wall; bespoke stick curtain wall; and travertine rainscreen. In total, there are 30 variations. A bespoke unitised curtain wall is used for the main faade, while the bespoke stick curtain wall features in the retail spaces, rooftop restaurant, pavilion building and glazed canopies. The travertine rainscreen has been used at a number of locations to overclad solid walls. There are several ancillary items, including balconies, wind screens, glazed balustrades, plant enclosures, fully glazed scenic passenger lifts to the rooftop restaurant, and a viewing platform with glazed floor at the Level 17 rooftop restaurant terrace. The transparency of the faade has been achieved by a combination of low-iron glass and ultra-clear interlayers, and by replacing solar coating with alternative solar-control options on the main office faade. Aligned to the sleek architectural vision, typically bulky faade frames were reduced through the introduction of Vierendeeltype mullions and transoms. A Vierendeel truss is characterised by having only vertical members between the top and bottom chords, The use of this enables structures/ mullions to span larger distances and presents