Clearview National June 2016 - Issue 175 | Page 66
GLASS&SEALEDUNITS
Grandstand Energy
Performance and Design
»»CHELTENHAM RACECOURSE IS
one of Britain’s best-known and most scenic
racing venues, and the annual four-day
Cheltenham Festival is one of the biggest dates
on the sporting calendar.
To enhance racegoers’ experience at the
venue and provide additional race-viewing
and hospitality space, the course’s owner, The
Jockey Club, decided to build a new five-storey,
6,500-capacity grandstand offering views
over the track itself, as well as the winners’
enclosure and the spectacular Malvern Hills to
the rear.
In order to maximise these views, full height
glazing was specified for every floor of the
grandstand, something that would also allow
natural light to flood the interior spaces.
As with any largely glazed space, maintaining
a comfortable climate all year round without
excessive heating or air-conditioning was a
priority. At the same time, the new building
needed to continue the design aesthetics of the
existing glazed stands at the track.
The main grandstand at the course was
completed in 1979 and extended twice
during the 1980s. The stand features green
body-tinted Pilkington glass, housed within
white aluminium frames - this has become
a recognisable feature of the course, which
the architect was keen to retain in the new
grandstand.
66 » JUN 2016 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
Steve Berry, regional sales manager at
Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, said: “When
the other grandstands were built, in the absence
of the advanced solar control coatings available
today, body tinted glass was the leading option
in terms of solar control technology. In fact, it
still provides significant shading from the sun
by reducing the amount of energy transmitted
by more than a third. This helps to keep the
interior cool during the warmer months.
“Matching the glazing in the new building to
that in the existing structures was an important
part of helping the new grandstand to blend in
sensitively with the site, and so the architect
opted for Pilkington Insulight™ units featuring
green-tinted glass to match the units elsewhere
at the racecourse.
The units do also benefit from a state-ofthe-art low-emissivity soft coating though, in
the form of Pilkington Optitherm™ on the
inner pane, which in certain applications can
deliver U-values as low as 1.0W/m2K while also
maximising light transmission and minimising
reflectance.”
Because it was full height, and also being
located on raised storeys directly above public
areas, building regulations dictated a high level
of structural s trength for the glass. This was
achieved by using toughened glass throughout
the building, with double-thickness laminated
panes on the outside.
Paul Seabright, operations director at
Aluminium Sashes, said: “Cheltenham
Racecourse is a cherished institution with
a loyal clientele – many of whom have been
attending events there for decades – so
it’s vital that a development like this sits
comfortably with the rest of the site. I think
the glazing, being such a dominant feature, is a
key part of achieving this.
“This is the latest project in our long-term
relationship with Pilkington, and it has been
a great help to have this level of continuity in
such a high-profile project.”
A total of 1,900 sq m of glass was used,
including some areas of opaque white glazing,
for which white Pilkington Spandrel Glass
screen-printed glazing was used.
The new grandstand is the final part of a
£45million redevelopment of the course which
has now opened to the public and saw its first
Cheltenham Festival in March 2016.
The building contains a champagne bar, an
owners and trainers bar, an exclusive seasonticket holders’ lounge named The Cotswold
Club, the Royal Box, a number of private boxes
and a fine-dining restaurant on the top floor.
www.pilkington.co.uk