Frameless structural glazing system for library

Central focus of Brighton's regenerated city square, the award-winning Jubilee Library, has recently been completed making extensive use of the Pilkington Planar' frameless structural glazing system.

The central focus of Brighton's regenerated city square, the award-winning Jubilee Library, has recently been completed making extensive use of the Pilkington Planar' frameless structural glazing system.

The £14million project, a private finance initiative (PFI) set up by Brighton and Hove Council, is part of the 'architectural renaissance' of an area which has been derelict for the past fifty years but is now transformed into a contemporary, urban leisure space comprising cafes, restaurants and the flagship library.

The area is expected to create hundreds of jobs and generate in the region of £20million per annum for the local economy.

The library's striking glass front perfectly links the building's indoor and outdoor spaces, while other fascia are clad with iridescent tiles, in reference to the tiles on many of Sussex's historic buildings.

Award-winning architects Bennett Associates, in conjunction with Lomax, Cassidy and Edwards, specified Pilkington Planar' as they were looking for a whole system.

Pilkington Planar' comprises glass, fittings and support structure, and is always sold as a complete solution.

It provides a flush glass surface using countersunk holes and stainless steel fittings to fix back the glass facade to the structure instead of conventional framing systems.

The result is a fully-engineered system with the minimum of structure and the maximum visual clarity.

Pilkington Planar' accredited installer, Portal , has enjoyed great success with the system: "Pilkington Planar lets you design using large glass facades to create uplifting working environments".

"One of the main advantages of designing with frameless structural glass systems is that it brings many of the attractions of the great outdoors indoors - such as natural light and sunshine".

"The library looks stunning," says David Shorey, Sales and Marketing Director, Portal .

The impressive building has already been recognised in the architectural world and has won several awards including the prestigious Public Library Building award, the PFI Design Award and the Sussex Heritage Trust Community Award.

The library has also won the Prime Minister's 'Better Public Building' award and the British Construction Industry award for best building between three and five million pounds.

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