Cannon Street, London, UK

Project Overview

In 2020, London’s 25 Cannon Street, a neoclassical office building opposite St Paul’s Cathedral, underwent modernisation by Buckley Gray Yeoman. ASME Engineering commissioned Dura Composites to design and supply GRP screening panels to protect rooftop equipment while complying with St Paul’s Heights policy.

Maintaining airflow with minimal visual impact.

Occupying a prominent island site directly opposite one of London’s most prominent landmarks, 25 Cannon Street is a five-storey, neoclassical office building with a design which is respectful of its location in the heart of the City of London. Views of St Paul’s Cathedral and other landmarks on the city skyline are protected by planning controls. A policy known as ‘St Paul’s Heights’ protects and enhances important local views of the Cathedral from a range of vantage points, including from the building at 25 Cannon Street.

In 2020, London architecture studio Buckley Gray Yeoman was selected to deliver a comprehensive modernisation of the 168,000 sq ft office, with ASME Engineering chosen to commission and install screening to the plant equipment on the rooftop which would be compliant with the St Paul’s Heights policy. ASME Engineering turned to Dura Composites to design and supply Glass Reinforced Polymer horizontal screening panels to protect the equipment housed on the rooftop from the elements, whilst maintaining airflow with minimal visual impact and allowing for access by maintenance personnel.

A combination of Dura Grating 50mm Standard Mesh and d² Dura Grating 45mm Mini Mesh were used to meet the distinct requirements of the various areas, with the larger hole-sized product providing the correct level of ventilation for the Air Handling Units, and the smaller hole sizes of the mini mesh providing additional privacy in other areas of the roof to minimize the impact on the historic views of St Paul’s. Non-conductive, lightweight and requiring minimal maintenance, the Dura Grating panels were supplied with powder coated fixing clips and hinged access panels, and offered the perfect strength-to-weight ratio for the project.

This was a fascinating project to work on, especially with the added complexity of the St Paul’s Heights regulations and the need for an aesthetically pleasing screening solution for both the building users and the adjacent neighbours. Working closely with Dura Composites meant that we and Buckley Yeoman Grey were able to select the right combination from Dura’s unique grating designs to meet the required weight and percentage of open area. Using different gratings in different zones delivered maximum cost efficiency for the project.

Nigel Levis

Commercial Manager at ASME Engineering

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