Home to the world’s biggest football club, Manchester United. As well as making an impressive statement to fans and visitors, the new entrance also had to provide a reception area and office space for staff at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.
To structurally glaze a spectacular fifteen metre high, 800m2 glass wall featuring the largest glass panels ever constructed in the UK. The panels, measuring 4.2m high by 1.8 metres wide each weighed nearly 300kg and had to be craned into place. They utilised 32mm double glazed units comprising a 10mm green anti-sun outer leaf and a 6mm clear toughened inner leaf. A special bespoke version of the SCHÜCO SK60V stick system with an aerofoil-shaped profile was designed especially for the project in accordance with the architect AFL’s original design.
The architect’s plans for very large glazed units fulfilled three major criteria. Bob Fuller of AFL comments, “Firstly the client’s brief called for drama and an imposing façade in keeping with the importance and scale of the stadium as a whole. The second consideration was practical. Each panel is storey high allowing maximum light penetration into the deep plan Atrium office space behind.”
To meet the exacting requirements of European standards for structural glazing (EN 13022), Dow’s technical experts specified DOWSIL™ 993 sealant to bond the glass in the frames.
