6 Bevis Marks Roof Garden

Bevis Marks – Impressive Covered ETFE Roof Terrace

In the middle of central London, Bevis Marks is an innovative office and commercial building that impresses both architecturally and ecologically. The architects from Fletcher Priest Architects put a special emphasis on the design of the upper part of the building, which is covered with an ETFE foil roof. The roof canopy was equipped with foil cushions made of Texlon^® ETFE by Vector Foiltec – comprising a 3D printed Structure.

The innovative and durable material creates transparency and protects the roof terrace from wind, and weather while also controlling the amount of sunlight that passes through. The two terraces include two levels and have an area of ​​670 m². Open at both ends, and transparently veiled up and out towards the long sides of the building, the roof enables a spectacular all-round view of London. Lattice like steel framework forms the roof structure that 102 two-layered Texlon^® ETFE foil cushions are connected to. The upper ETFE foil layer includes a dot matrix print pattering which helps shield excessively strong solar radiation. This means that the extremely light roof has a very low g-value.

Diamond-shaped and triangular Texlon^® ETFE Foil Cushions

In order to create an atmosphere that is as open as possible, the ETFE shell begins about 2 m above the terrace level. The roof collar then arches horizontally over the roof garden in a 2.5 m radius. In order to implement this extraordinary design idea, the expertise of the engineers at Vector Foiltec was required. Such a geometry had not yet been realized with diamond-shaped and triangular Texlon^® ETFE foil cushions. Vector Foiltec developed the complex geometry of the roof structure, planned the ETFE foil cushions and their integration into the steel framework. In addition, Vector Foiltec’s scope of work included the production, assembly and project management of all trades involved.

3D printed Structure

A particular concern of the architects during the design phase was consistently reproducing the organic character of the building envelope, right down to the nodes of the supporting structure with 3D-printed nylon cladding. This is also where Vector Foiltec and their design expertise was needed. Together with the plastics specialist CDRM, we developed custom-fit nylon cladding for these connection points.

Due to the height of the building as well as the strict safety regulations of the City of London, the assembly turned out to be extremely demanding. Challenging weather conditions placed high demands on the logistics. The skills of the steel construction team and the Texlon^® ETFE installation teams met, but overcame, these challenges 17 floors above ground level.

High Efficiency: BREEAM Excellent

There was an out-of-date office complex from the 1980s on this property, which had to give way to the new 16-story building. With 16,500 m² of usable space and 1,100 m² of terrace space, Bevis Marks not only offers significantly more usable space than its predecessor, but is also 80% more energy-efficient. 59% of the existing structure was integrated into the new project, which significantly reduces the ecological footprint of the new building. The BREEAM rating of “Excellent” impressively demonstrates the high efficiency of the building.

Awards

6 Bevis Marks Roof Garden commended at 2016 SSDA, the Structural Steel Design Awards 2016. A great achievement for all involved! The Texlon^® ETFE system creates a comfortable and sheltered space – notable eye candy in London’s architectural skyline.

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