Glazing Vision’s xVent hinged rooflights have been used as part of the recent œ11.5m project at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal to provide smoke ventilation as well as enhanced lighting.
Since opening in 1867, the venue has remained a flagship location for operatic music and ballet, hosting a variety of world-class entertainment and holding an important place in Scotland’s history.
A new extension to the building has been created as a social space for visitors, and consists of a new entrance, spacious foyer, bars and an accompanying roof-terrace with City views. Additional lifts have also been provided in order to improve access to the varying levels encompassing the auditorium.
While addressing the special and aesthetic benefits of the new extension was an important priority for the works, appropriate safety features were a key factor in the building specification. In its history, Glasgow’s Theatre Royal has experienced two tragic fires that took lives and destroyed the building, meaning that full provision for incorporating safety measures into the new space was of primary concern.
In order to meet the requirements of smoke vent systems in
“providing a pathway for the spread of heat and smoke?to prevent potential spread between departments”, Glazing Vision was approached to provide its CE approved xVent hinged smoke ventilation rooflights or Automatic Opening Vent (AOV).
Tested and certified to BS EN 12101-2:2003, Glazing Vision says the xVent was the most practical solution for ensuring the extended area was installed with the appropriate fire safety equipment whilst meeting the visual demands of the new interior.
The rooflights are connected to the fire alarm system upon installation, which when triggered, automatically opens the vents to 140ø for effective smoke ventilation. This means that in the unfortunate event of a fire, the xVent is able to aid smoke out of the building quickly, with the AOV system opening in less than a minute.
Whilst primarily a fire safety product, Glazing Vision’s xVent provides the additional benefit of being able to function as a day to day roof vent and can be opened up to 45ø at the touch of a button.
The product also meets the aesthetic needs of the project, as the rooflight mechanisms are hidden within the framework in order to achieve a minimal finish, which in this project created large amounts of light and space over the theatre’s main stairwell.
Two xVent units were craned five stories up and installed adjacent to one another; this achieved the required internal opening area for smoke evacuation specified in the build. The elliptical shape of the staircase beneath the rooflights was formed via the internal finishes.
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