Prater delivers complex design for new urban sustainability centre

International construction services company ISG appointed Prater, the UK's leading specialist envelope contractor to deliver the complex roofing design of the Crystal – a sustainable cities initiative by Siemens in London. Prater was selected as it could offer the required in-house capability to bring the architects' design to fruition and install the complicated composite roof and solar photovoltaic (PV) system.

Located at the heart of the London's Docklands, the Crystal will provide office space for more than 100 Siemens staff. Furthermore, the centre is home to the world's largest exhibition focused on urban sustainability, giving visitors the chance to learn about technological solutions to urban challenges. As such, sustainable technologies and excellence in sustainable construction will be showcased in the centre, which is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors every year.

Designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects, the Crystal is formed of two interlocking buildings. They themselves are then broken into a series of triangulated facets all of which have a different orientation, resulting in the striking and dynamic aesthetics of this iconic building.

It was the complexity of the roof design, with its differing slopes, rooflights and requirement for solar PV that meant Prater was ideally placed to design and install the composite roof and PV system.

Michael Jenner, senior project manager at ISG commented: "Prater went through a competitive tender process and the company's proven expertise in dealing with complex projects and ability to provide a single point of contact for the complete roofing and PV system was behind its success. The architects' requirements were handed over to Prater's in-house design team who were regularly on-site to see the project through to successful completion."

Prater offers the specialist skills required in all disciplines of exterior envelope construction and is the only envelope contractor to offer the knowledge and expertise of an in-house design team. With the added capability of solar PV installation, Prater guarantees a system's structural integrity, electrical safety and lifetime performance of both the new building and the system itself.

"We have worked with Prater in the past and would certainly work with them again in the future," added Michael Jenner.

For further information please visit: www.prater.co.uk or call Tel: 01737 772331