Architectural louvers create a curved appearance on building’s exterior
Owned and managed by Ivanhoé Cambridge, Guildford Town Centre in Surrey, British Columbia was built in 1966 and has undergone multiple expansions and renovations since then. The second phase of a five-year expansion; it’s one of the largest shopping center redevelopment projects in Canada. Completed in August 2013, it added a dramatic new entrance, a complete refurbishment of the interior, and an additional 213,000 square feet of retail space for 70 retailers and a new Food Court.
Today, Guildford Town Centre offers more than 1.2 million square feet of leasable area with over 250 stores and restaurants. Schofield, Wis.-based Airolite Co. LLC’s architectural louvers are featured prominently on top of the rotunda over the new entrance to the mall.
The original design for the front entrance called for the installation of curved architectural louvers to create a contemporary and majestic statement for the popular shopping center. However, curved louvers proved to be too costly. Airolite engineers were able to create the curved appearance with 88 sections of straight segmented Airolite K609 Louvers installed on the building’s curved exterior surface. A clear anodized finish was selected to emphasize the natural silver beauty of the aluminum. As light changes during the day and night, it reflects off the aluminum façade and greets passersby with a compelling invitation to step inside and enjoy a delightful shopping experience in this charming community.
Installing a flat louver on a curved surface required an innovative mounting system and extraordinary attention to detail. Airolite engineers designed a unique wide bracket with a straight steel pin that could be installed in advance on the curved wall to receive the louver sections. Four standard louver brackets for each section were hung on the four custom-designed brackets providing flexibility to move the louver section forward or back and create the circular effect.
Installation was easy and quick thanks to this engineered solution. The thickness of the vertical framework was also reduced to help achieve the circular effect. Although these louvers were installed only for aesthetic purposes, the Airolite Louver Type 609 is designed for applications that require intake and exhaust ventilation with moderate protection against water penetration.
The louvers were designed, produced and shipped in two separate phases to accommodate the building schedule. Phase I included 2,420 square feet of louvers in 63 sections with an average size of 7 feet wide by 5 feet 6 inches high.
Phase II included 550 square feet of louvers in 25 sections. Architect Celso Stifelmann with Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership, Vancouver, was pleased with the final look. “The use of Airolite louvers on top of the rotunda over the main entrance was crucial to obtain the results we are now seeing,” he says. “The intent on this portion of the building was to give the public a majestic experience, complementing the beautiful plaza. Airolite’s ability to manufacture and install an almost frameless decorative louver with the proportions we envisioned was key for this success. The final product exceeded our expectations, and this project is quickly becoming a City of Surrey landmark.”
Guildford Town Centre Expansion, Phase II, Surrey, British Columbia
Owner/manager: Ivanhoé Cambridge, Montréal, Québec, Canada
Architect: Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership, Vancouver, British Columbia
Airolite Rep: Rieger Architectural Products, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Louvers: Airolite Co. LLC, Schofield, Wis., www.airolite.com
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Anthony Jackson is a sales manager at Schofield, Wis.-based Airolite Co. LLC. For more information, go to www.airolite.com.