TESCO, St Stephens Shopping Mall, Hull
Architects: Holder Mathias

Contractor: HBG construction Glazing

Installers: Solaglas Structural Contracting

Possibly the longest run of Fire Rated Curtain Walling in the country.

Products: Wrightstyle SR60 series fire resistant Curtain Wall, with 5050 series doors, and WSL G30 double glazed fire resistant glass units.

Approximately 1065m/2 in total.

The St Stephens development has been designed to resemble an underground high street and comprises retail units for major high street brands including: H&M, Next, Body Shop, Zara and Topshop.

ING Real Estate and Yorkshire Forward created the development, which is owned by British Land. Wrightstyle fabricated and supplied the SR curtain walling system, with 5050 series doors glazed into the assembly (as escape doors), along with WSL 30minute fire resistant sealed units.

Two fire-screens were needed to isolate the first floor shopping area from the lower floor car park. The large upper level screen is approximately 7metres high by 109.7 metres long, with mullion module centres of 3metres, some 1065m/2 of glazing – in what is thought to be the largest of its kind in the country.

The layout was required to tie in with the corporate configuration seen in many Tesco’s.

This type of shop-front is not usually required to be fire rated, but due to the open access between the lower floor car park and the shopping space directly above, fire protection became essential in the design.

The combined expertise of Solaglas Contracting and Wrightstyle meant the project was completed within the specified timescale of 16 weeks, which included design, manufacture and installation.

Pictures courtesy of Solaglas Contracting Ltd.