BBC Cymru
August 2019

Two types of curtain walling, and entrance doors by KAWNEER, including the first UK use of a new severe duty welded door, feature on the new headquarters building for BBC Cymru in Cardiff’s Central Square.

Kawneer’s AA100 capped and zone-drained aluminium curtain wall, complemented by its SSG (Structurally Silicone Glazed) and mullion-drained sister product were use throughout the façade of the building. They are complemented by AA720 doors and the new dual colour AA190 TB severe duty welded doors which are offered with a lifetime guarantee.

The project, designed by Foster + Partners and built by main contractor ISG Construction for developer Rightacres Property, won a 2019 RICS Wales award for Design Through Innovation.

Set over four floors, the building is the new home for 1,200 BBC Cymru staff and includes 16,292m2 of curtain walling and 3,572m2 of precast stone panels over 150,000ft2 of office, studio and production space.

The 2,000-tonne steel frame is left exposed under a glass roof garden canopy supported by 10 28m-high supporting steel columns, with the frame’s connections forming a diamond shape in the centre.

The project targeted BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ environmental accreditation with strategies such as chilled beams, locally-sourced and recycled materials, and an efficient envelope. Mechanical systems have been integrated to create a flexible interior which can anticipate and respond to changing technologies.

www.kawneer.co.uk