Idea Store in London

The borough of Tower Hamlets in east London has successfully implemented a new municipal library concept in the form of an “idea store” with a community centre. The library, with a steel skeleton frame, is built over an existing shopping arcade. Resistance to wind and horizontal loads is provided by timber facade columns. In view of the extreme dimensions of the panes of glass (4.50m high, but only 60 cm wide), the aluminium post-and-rail facade was suspended from the steel structure. Coloration in the laminated safety glass was achieved by inserting layers of film. Using a range of nine colours and combining as many as four layers of film, more than 7,000 different shades can be achieved.