Working in close cooperation with specialist façade contractors Hamilton, Vivalda has supplied A1 rainscreen cladding and associated framing to a complex remediation project on London’s City Road. Located in the heart of the city, The Link is an iconic mixed-use development that tested the technical know-how, logistical expertise and communication skills of all parties involved.
Main contractor Mulalley was appointed in 2022 to address the existing, non-compliant cladding on the exterior of the building, which comprises retail, office and residential areas. Valcan’s solid aluminium VitraDual was specified to provide a new, non-flammable façade to the building, with one of the challenges being to provide an exact like-for-like visual solution.
While the technical aspects to colour match the old rainscreen cladding were tough enough, the location of The Link, on one of London’s busiest thoroughfares, presented even greater challenges for the teams Vivalda and Hamilton.
Daniel Mackie, director at Hamilton, explains: “Access to the site was very strictly controlled, meaning that we could only sanction deliveries at specific times of day. Space around the building was also very tight, so there was next to no leeway to hold materials for any length of time. In effect we had to adopt a total just-in-time strategy.
“In this regard, Vivalda was superb – providing us with finished façade sections at the right time. Constant communication meant that the fabricated sections arrived and teams were ready to unload and transfer for installation on a rolling basis.
Chris Meyerhoff, branch manager at Vivalda, added: “We’re seeing lot more of this type of project, with us providing a complete off-site, just-in-time solution to contractors. This sort of work is not for everyone, but thanks to our experienced team, nationwide fabrication capabilities and in-house logistics provision, we were able to ensure that this high profile reclad went like clockwork.
“Solid metal external cladding, in this case 3mm aluminium, is proving especially popular with major remediation projects such as this. Moreover, the ability to colour match on a like-for-like basis is also an important consideration during the specification process.”
Employing 2,100m2 of non-flammable cladding in total, the external façade used rivet fixing. All work was undertaken with consideration as the building was fully occupied during the remediation process, which was completed in early 2023.
