Inspiration: Canary Wharf expansion, London

Roto Patio Inowa is used on two residential towers in one of London’s most prestigious construction projects in recent years.

Canary Wharf is one of the iconic features of the modern London skyline. Built on land in the previously derelict Docklands east of the city centre, the area is a busy financial district and features several of London’s tallest commercial buildings.

The area is still in development and has expanded with new projects including Wood Wharf, a new waterside community featuring shops, restaurants, office space and a total of over 3,600 homes.

The focal point of this district is One Park Drive, a 211 metre residential skyscraper designed by Herzog de Meuron. There are 483 apartments and those in the upper section have double height terraces set back into the building. They are designed to allow in as much light as possible and maximise the views over London.

Patio Inowa has been an ideal choice for the sliding balcony doors because it enables the construction of very tall glazed sashes that retain high levels of weather performance, even in gale force winds.

Systems partners

In a partnership with aluminium systems brand Schüco, around 1,000 sliding units were specified for One Park Drive. These sliding units are up to 2800mm tall, providing residents with floor-to-ceiling glazing.

Wicona was the systems collaborator on a further 600 units for Newfoundland Tower, a residential tower at Newfoundland Quay on the other side of the Canary Wharf site. These units measure up to 2700mm tall and use an aluminium profile developed specially for the project.

Benefits for residents

On both of these developments, residents benefit from natural light and a high level of thermal and noise insulation. Even with such tall sashes, the all-round locking keeps the seals firmly compressed, providing full airtightness and water resistance over the lifetime of these installations.

Another advantage of Patio Inowa is ease of use. Operation is intuitive and foolproof: you turn the handle downwards to lock, and lift it in order to slide the unit open. Even a full-height window of 200 kg can be moved with very little effort.

Awards finalists

The use of Patio Inowa on these projects gained Roto nominations in two categories at the London Construction Awards for 2018. We were shortlisted finalists for both the Sustainable Construction Award and the London Build Excellence Award – a testament to the environmental advantages of Patio Inowa and its unique, innovative design that has no parallel in the industry.