case studies

Royal Exchange, London

Located in the heart of London's business centre, adjacent to the Bank of England, The Royal Exchange is heaped in history and tradition.

Built in 1844, this Grade 1 listed building is one of the most important in London's history. The Ambulatory paintings illustrate the history of the City of London over many hundreds of years.

Now fully restored the central covered courtyard area is surmounted by colonades which house a number of small but exclusive shops including Prada, Tiffany & Co. and John Lobb.

Working with architectural metalworkers, Optima Architectural, Kite Glass was commissioned to manufacture the toughened glass panels.The design and age of the buildings posed many questions for Kite Glass technical staff. In order to maintain site lines, levels and squareness, accurate manufacture was necessary to very close tolerances.

Pilkington Optiwhite Low Iron glass in 10mm, 12mm and 15mm thickness are used throughout for the shop fronts and entrances, allowing the shops to demonstrate the true colours of the items on display as well as achieving maximum light transmission.

Pilkington Optiwhite is a specially developed float glass, which displays none of the faint tint apparent in most standard 'clear glasses', making it suitable for a wide range of applications from commercial façades to furniture.

15mm toughened and heat soaked Optiwhite was also used to fill in the first floor arches at each end of the building. This was a particularly difficult project given the size, shape and accuracy required to fit the glass around the old stonework in the archways. 19mm clear float toughened (Bsi Kite Marked to BS6206A-T) and heat soaked glass was specified for the structural stairs and balconies over each shop front.

Optima Architectural selected Kite Glass because of our commitment to quality and service. All the Optiwhite supplied on this project was toughened and Bsi Kite Marked to BS6206A-T and heat soaked tested. Glass was manufactured from both drawings and templates.

To avoid disruption to traffic and pedestrians, deliveries were scheduled for early mornings using our own Hiab crane vehicle to unload a full stillage of glass directly into the entrance of the Royal Exchange.

Glass Specification

10mm, 12mm and 15mm Optiwhite Low Iron Float glass.
12mm and 19mm Clear Float glass.
Shaped and rectangles with Polished edges, Smoothed edges, Mitred edges, Drilled and countersunk.

Kite Glass are pleased to be able to offer the following:

• The British Standard Kitemark certification to our full range of toughened glass products from 4mm to 25mm thick, ensuring a safe, quality product
• Screen printed toughened glass
• Toughened laminated glass
• Curved toughened glass (not BS Kitemarked)
• Glass flooring
• Assistance in glass design and specification with co-operation from our specialist consultants
• A full site survey, supply and installation service