Refurb Projects April 2017

GLAZING
Historic art gallery brought into 21st century
When adding a modern
extension to a beloved
historic building,
creating a sensitive link
between the two is an important
consideration.
This was one of the challenges
that the architects working with the
Grade-II* listed Glynn Vivian Art
Gallery in Swansea needed to
address when designing a major new
extension.
The project involved adding a
new gallery, community and
education rooms, a lecture theatre
and screening room, conservation
studios and collection stores to the
existing gallery – a neoclassical brick
and stone building completed in
1909. The works also created a new
street level entrance, welcoming
visitors with a much larger and
brighter reception space.
SEPARATE BUT CONNECTED
In creating the extension, the
designers were keen to preserve the
impressive symmetry of the original
façade, and this meant creating a
sense of physical separation
externally between the extension
and the gallery itself.
At the same time, in order to
deliver the best experience for
visitors, the two elements needed to
be well connected internally, with
people able to flow freely between
the two.
The solution was to enclose the
linking part of the extension, set
back from the buildings’ façades, in
low-profile structural glazing.
This link means that the two
elements are connected on three
levels, making the building feel
unified to visitors while also
allowing the historic façade to be
appreciated in isolation from
outside.
The glazing also extends at
ground level around the front of the
extension, allowing light to flood
into the new entrance area.
To the right-hand-side of the
historic building is a garden space,
which the gallery intends to allow to
grow into a green oasis for the city
centre. The refurbished building
features a glazed section of wall
opening onto the garden across
three floors, allowing light in and
giving passers by a glimpse of some
of the artworks on display.
THE ART OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY
In total, 70 sq. m of glazing was
used. In order to maximise insulation
of the newly created space, and
ensure high levels of structural
strength, double-glazed units
featuring one pane of 12mm
toughened glass and another of
13.5mm laminated glass were used.
The outer pane was Pilkington K
Glass, which features a lowemissivity
hard coating to reduce
the amount of radiated heat lost
from the building, further enhancing
the energy performance of the
space.
The frameless glazing was
supported by a series of laminated
fins created from 21.5mm-thick
glass using the Pilkington Planar l
SentryGlas® system. These are
connected to the glazing units with
low-profile stainless steel bolts and
deliver high levels of structural
strength while maintaining the
transparency of the system,
contributing to its minimal
appearance.
Phil Savage, commercial
contracts sales manager at
Pilkington United Kingdom Limited,
said: “Structural glazing is the ideal
solution for extending iconic and
historic buildings, as it allows new
routes in and out of them to be
created with minimal visible
intervention.
“This extension is an excellent
example of this being done very
successfully, and it’s clear that the
two parts of the building, although
separated by more than 100 years in
age, really work together as a
harmonious whole.”
Jenni Spencer-Davies, curator at
the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, said:
“The art gallery building is one of
the best-loved and most
architecturally significant in
Swansea, and it’s important that we
preserve that heritage.
“At the same time, the gallery is
also a living and breathing part of
the cultural life of the city. The new
extension enhances the experience
for visitors without compromising the
historic façade that has been so well
known to people in Swansea for
generations. The glazed link between
the buildings plays a big part in that.”
Web: www.pilkington.co.uk
Project: Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea
Client: City and County of Swansea Council
Main contractor: Ide Contracting
Architect: Powell Dobson
26 APRIL 2017, REFURBISHMENT PROJECTS