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_ Curtainwalling

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MERO

Farnborough Airport Terminal Building, UK

Completed in 2005, the new Terminal Building for TAG Farnborough Ltd. at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire, marked the completion of the first stage of TAG’s plan to turn the former MOD airbase into a world class business airport.

Having already completed the shingle cladding to the new air control tower in 2003, MERO won the contract in late 2003 to design develop the shingle cladding to the new terminal building, and then in mid 2004 to manufacture and install the cladding to the building.

Through the initial design development process, half a dozen alternative cladding solutions were investigated and offered to the client, who eventually settled on the diamond shingle cladding which closely resembled the appearance of the air traffic control tower. The shingle system was designed so that it fixed directly back to the horizontal purlins that spanned between the primary steelwork hoops spaced at 9m centres along the length of the building. Although not in MERO’s supply, MERO was requested to provide full setting out drawings for the positions of the purlins on the building, to ensure their position and the subsequent line of the cladding was exactly where required.

Using a modified version of the rainscreen system used on the air traffic control tower, and incorporating a full vapour barrier, insulation and waterproof membrane build up, almost 25,000 mill finished diamond shaped aluminium shingles were installed to the facades, each interlocking with it’s adjoining shingles to provide the building’s unique skin. The overlapping of the shingles gives the interesting textured finish to the building when close up, yet a smooth uniform effect when viewed at a distance. The flexibility of the cladding enabled the continually changing contours of the building to be easily followed using standard shingles without the need for lengthy and expensive individual shingle design, fabrication or forming.

MERO developed a shuffle glazing system for the 182 panels of glass that form the two levels of windows that run along the length of the building. Totally frameless, the glass panes are supported on just their top and bottom edges, hidden within the head and sill cladding, with vertical silicone joints between panes. With each pane varying in angle between 0° and 47° from vertical dependant on the surrounding building geometry, each panel was designed to be replaced from the outside of the building without the need to demount any of the surrounding finishes. By using the same glazing system on the plant and dummy louvers adjacent to the glass, the system allows for any future reconfiguration of the building. MERO carried out full laboratory testing of the glazing system to ensure it’s suitability.

The huge overhanging ends of the building above the first floor terraces were clad using mill finished aluminium panels to match the feature panels on the ends of the buildings, and to provide a harmonious contrast to the shingle cladding to the rest of the building envelope. Mill finished aluminium panels also featured to the recesses of the ribbon windows as the transition between glass and shingle

[Download this project as a PDF document] 

2200m² mill finish 'Falzonal' aluminium diamond shingles approx 0.3m x 0.3m on insulated waterproof sub layer build up.
1150m² mill finish 3mm thick aluminium panels to open ends of building, window recesses and airside entrance.
370m² frameless double glazed ribbon window glazing comprising of either 10.8mm lamianted external pane, 12mm airspace, 6mm clear toughened and heat soak tested internal pane with low-e coating, or 14.8mm laminated external pane, 12mm airspace, 12.8mm laminated internal pane with low-e coating.
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