Issue 41 Spring web - Flipbook - Page 43
A flawless sweep of glass balustrading up the stairs and
around the mezzanine floor is finished with a bespoke
aluminium handrail along the entire length.
Successful installations include structural glass to link old
buildings to modern extensions; bespoke framed and
frameless balustrades on staircases or enclosing mezzanine
floors; acoustic and heat-retaining screens to divide spaces
whilst still allowing light to flow around the building; glass
screens to enclose meeting rooms to create private spaces
with full visibility and impressive glass doors and draught
lobbies to provide welcoming and secure entrances.
Ion also created a fully enclosed glass meeting room on
the new mezzanine with a long span of individual glass
panels affording a clear view of the nave between the
original stone arches. The room is accessed via a floor to
ceiling glass screen fitted with a frameless glass door
that makes the room private and secure yet visually
unobtrusive; bespoke panels of glass were installed to
protect the original stained-glass windows.
St Mary’s at the Quay in Ipswich was completely repurposed to convert a 15th Century city centre church
into a health and wellness centre, maintaining the original
character of the building but extending the space with a
mezzanine floor to accommodate a series of meeting
rooms and offices.
‘St Mary’s at the Quay, or Quay Place as it is now called,
was an RICS award-winning project that we were proud
to be involved with,’ added Peter. ‘It engaged many of
Ion’s skills and techniques for structural glass and bespoke
metalwork within a single heritage building.
Ion Glass were commissioned to install bespoke structural
glass throughout the building.
Visitors to the new centre use the original doorway but
Ion created a structural glass lobby inside the entrance to
avoid heat loss. Entirely created from glass the new lobby
provides an uninterrupted view of the interior as visitors
enter the building whilst at the same time protecting the
original 15th century font which sits safely behind the
glass. Clever use of discreet stainless-steel brackets and
structural glass fins maintains the minimal appearance of
the lobby which meets current building requirements
without detracting from the beauty and atmosphere of
the building.
Visitors to the new centre have praised the restoration,
describing it as ‘a wonderful mix of old and modern,
beautiful and special’.
‘We’ve seen an increasing number of churches and
heritage buildings recognising the benefits of enclosing
spaces with glass,’ continued Peter. ‘Each one has its own
unique requirements!’
Below, the Structural glass entrance porch at St Mary at the Quay
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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