May 27 2009
Following the sinking of the 25 meter foundation piles, construction work on Heron Tower is now progressing meter by meter. In parallel, the first facade elements are being attached to the high-rise in the City of London. The framework of the tower will be clad with some 185 metric tons of stainless steel panels manufactured by ThyssenKrupp Nirosta (Krefeld). More than 11,000 square meters of the lattice-like building facade will be covered in stainless steel. The developer attached particular importance to the absolute flatness of the panels.
With a linen-texture finish, the stainless steel panels will provide a high-quality, low-maintenance facade cladding that is insensitive to dirt and extremely durable. "The textured finish reduces reflection and glare from the surface of the material," explains Heinz Koch from ThyssenKrupp Nirosta's technical customer advice team. "The one-millimeter thick panels are 1.50 meters wide and cut to lengths of three to five meters depending on requirements," he adds. "Facade structures are tested in the wind tunnel during the planning phase, and there are also standardized processes to test their resistance to rain and strong winds." Partnering Nirosta on this project is the Cologne-based company Christian Pohl GmbH, which is responsible for further processing and delivering the panels.
Heron Tower was designed by the renowned New York architects Kohn, Pedersen, Fox and features a stainless steel-clad lattice framework with large glazed areas. The high-rise is to be one of the world's most advanced office buildings, providing optimized energy efficiency and a pleasant working environment for employees, including a 70,000 liter aquarium in the lobby area. The tower's name comes from the London-based developers Heron International, a property investment and development group for office buildings, leisure centers and shopping malls that has already realized over 150 projects of this kind. On the top three floors there will be a public restaurant and bar. With a total height of more than 200 meters and 46 stories, the skyscraper will be one of the city's tallest buildings and a standout feature of the new London skyline. Anyone wishing to see Heron Tower for themselves will have to wait a little while: It is being built at 110 Bishopsgate, where it will be served by 10 subway stations, and is scheduled to open in 2011.