Originally built in 1974, the 142 metre high Guy's Hospital now stands in the shadow of one of London’s newest and most iconic buildings, The Shard. The tallest hospital in Western Europe, with two towers at 34 and 30 storeys, the concrete exterior of Guy's Hospital was in need of refurbishment having suffered from spalling which had exposed the steel reinforcement to further corrosion.
For client Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, the most feasible way to secure the future of the hospital for the next 30 years and improve its environmental performance was a full refurbishment of the external façade, including new replacement windows, energy efficient aluminium cladding and new roofing system.
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In a design by architects Penoyre and Prasad and consultant Arup Façade Engineering, Balfour Beatty completed the entire re-cladding of the taller service tower, with a zigzag profiled anodised aluminium system. This new facade not only modernised the aesthetic but also provided environmental benefits, with a potential saving of 18% of total energy consumption.
The external refurbishment was further complicated by the level of work required inside the live hospital environment, where the various teams had to work around the staff and patients with minimal disruption. Fully sealed floor to ceiling barriers were required to separate work zones so that finishes to window ledges could be completed, while all materials were fabricated away from any work zone to minimise noise.
A staggering 8,000m2 of aluminium cladding panels have been installed on all elevations of the service tower and a further 5,300m2 of glazing units installed in all elevations of the user tower. The glazing uses solar selective glass in order to minimise solar gain and optimise orientation. Across the site a total of 34,500m2 of concrete has been cleaned and extensive concrete repairs carried out.
(CD/MH)
