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Soft coat Low E: Elder Street Lookout, Perth
Clad in custom-designed glazed angled sections of fabricated steel, this striking form looms over three levels and sits 25 metres into the sky. The distinctive form is complex in form and function, with 25 tonnes of laser-cut steel encasing 115 irregular pieces of glazing. Each piece of glass is an IGU made up of high performance soft coat Low E and a digitally printed ceramic pattern combined in a custom laminated makeup.
On approach, the Elder Street Lookout appearance can best be described as an Iceberg or ice pick, providing the precinct with an architectural and technical triumph on this extremely compact allotment. Clad in custom-designed glazed angled sections of fabricated steel, this striking form looms over three levels and sits 25 metres into the sky. The unique structure has been designed to attract maximum exposure, facing one of the city’s main traffic arteries with clearways twice daily. As the site was originally occupied by Western Power (with a transformer room in full operation), the project had to be carefully planned and constructed around all existing services.
The distinctive three-storey public space is designed to be unmissable to pedestrians and motorists alike. Created for promoting tourism, and housing spectacular advertising displays, the development offers peerless views of Perth’s CBD from its top levels – all while vividly projecting business-related and promotional messages onto its supersized 7.5m x 4.5m LED screen.
The irregular tiles in the building’s ‘splintered’ façade feature a kaleidoscope of finishes, with each shard’s appearance ranging from full transparency to heavy saturation of printed surface.
A unique range of challenges addressed with careful application of technology
‘All glass was manufactured and installed by Cooling Brothers,’ says Rhys Aizlewood, Commercial Accounts Manager. ‘Each panel of glass was of a unique size and had to be templated and drafted before entering production. The site location made access and space major issues to overcome, with the glazing installed using two distinct methods – the first being onsite installation, where the steel was delivered in nodes which were installed one by one with a crane. Our glass was then structurally glazed into each opening, utilising the crane as much as possible and using EWPs to complete the smaller panels.’
In contrast, the project’s prefabricated elements were completed via a factory-based installation. ‘Due to the restricted space onsite, several of the nodes were required to be glazed in a controlled offsite environment,’ Rhys explains. ‘The silicon then had to dry fully before the node could be craned into position onsite.’ According to Daniel Gwyther-Jones, Construction Manager at Gwyth Jones, working with Cooling Bros was a highly rewarding experience. ‘We couldn’t have achieved this result without the detailed input of the Cooling Brothers team,’ he says. ‘They were involved in every aspect of the design, supply, and installation process – not only the plan itself, but also how it was working and the logistics of getting the project to the site.
The project utilises InsulCool Ultra Cool E IGUs, combined with a white ceramic frit pattern is printed using ImagInk digital printing.
The distinctive façade is complex in form and function
Sheathing the building’s interior like an organic skin, the façade’s arrangement of structural steel and glass consist of 25 tonnes of laser-cut steel encasing 115 irregular pieces of glazing. As well as providing a privacy barrier for those inside, the glazing also offers the building’s occupants a high level of solar and thermal protection due to a high performing IGU specification.
The project utilises InsulCool Ultra Cool E IGUs, combined with a white ceramic frit pattern is printed using ImagInk digital printing. The Ultra range of InsulCool IGUs feature soft coat Low E glass for vastly improved U Value and SHGC ratings over standard hard coat Low E. The ceramic frit offers additional shading.
"The Ultra Cool E IGUs combined with ImagInk enabled us to achieve optimum thermal performance required due to the design and unique form of the structure. Whenever I’ve worked with Colling Brothers it’s always been a really positive experience, and this was no exception"
DANIEL GWYTHER-JONES
Construction Manager
