In the pink ― bespoke louvre system for contemporary London development
Every large building needs specialist machinery and equipment to keep it operating effectively. But air conditioning units, generators, water tanks and pipes can be ugly ― especially when the building has been designed to make a striking contribution to the urban realm.
R7 is an office, retail and leisure building in the fast-developing area of London’s King’s Cross. Conceived by Duggan Morris Architects, it has been designed to stand out from the crowd ― with an exterior that’s finished in millennial pink.
Maple has a proven track record of designing and installing louvre systems that protect machinery but promote airflow. We use different types of blade and blade configuration to control or manage the amount of airflow and keep out wind, rain, birds and dirt.
At R7, we supplied and installed a bespoke louvre system for three areas of the new building. In some areas, the louvres were combined with aluminium panels for complete protection from water. Elsewhere, we fitted louvered doors with the required airflow/protection qualities.
However, perhaps the most surprising requirement was to colour-match our louvres to the architects’ specifications. They were powder-coated in two shades of pink to match the rosy hue of the bricks on nearby 19th century buildings and also to protect the aluminium from corroding in what is a heavily polluted London transport hub.
The coatings were tested in our Stockport factory and samples were approved before manufacture began.
