The £12.4m car park in Swindon was completed in 2013, however, cracks within the terracotta baguettes began to appear only 5 years later. As the failing façade began to create safety concerns, John Sisk & Son Ltd appointed Maple to replace the baguettes with like-for-like
aluminium fins. Due to its natural oxide layer, aluminium provides the perfect solution to corrosion. The metal is also lightweight and easy to install which makes it the ideal replacement.
The total lengths of the fins reach up to 8000m and each fin was designed to match the dimension, colour and profile of the original specification. The aluminium was powder-coated with a terracotta shade which also provides the metal with a protective layer against the elements. Powder-coating is tougher than conventional paint and offers a 25-year guarantee therefore the new façade will have a much greater lifespan than the previous one.
Maple were more than happy to lend a helping hand on the project as fin façades have become one of our specialities over the last couple of decades. Ranging from 30 miles worth of fins on
Victoria Square car park in Woking to specialised Spit-fire inspired fins for
Smithfield MSCP, we have an impressive catalogue of fin façade installations.