Press Release 03 12 2019

    RENOLIT SOLUTIONS HELP BRING ICONIC BUILDING IN LONDON’S EAST END INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

    Waterproofing roofing solutions from RENOLIT are helping improve the energy efficiency, weather resistance and environmental impact of an iconic building recently refurbished in London’s East End, while preserving the outstanding architectural characteristics of the historic structure.

    Sant Celoni, Barcelona, 03 December 2019 At the Lansbury Heritage Hotel in Poplar, RENOLIT products – RENOLIT ALKORPLAN F and RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR – have been used to provide a high-performance base for a series of solar panels that now cover much of the roof. “We are proud to have been able to help in the transformation of such a historical building with an invisible, efficient, reliable and lightweight solution based on our leading roofing solutions,” said Tony Brown, National Technical Manager UK.

    The Lansbury Heritage Hotel is an historical Grade 2 listed building in the East End of London, not far from Canary Wharf on the River Thames. Previously the Poplar Town Hall, it is named after George Lansbury, the pioneering politician who was for a time the Mayor of Poplar. The hotel stands out with its landmark octagonal domed tower, making it the centre point in a highly protected conservation area.

    For both aesthetic and regulatory reasons, the building’s new owners wanted to preserve as much as possible of the original elements as they totally transformed its purpose (a listed building may not be demolished, extended, or altered without special permission from the local planning authority). Poplar Town Hall has special architectural interest, since it was the first town hall to be built (in the late 1930s) on pure modern lines, with continuous bands of glazing and a curved bow front, and with numerous high-quality materials. 

    Conversion from town hall to hotel has been going on for several months since the property was acquired earlier in the decade. One of the most important aims of the refurbishment was to improve the energy efficiency of the building, including the installation of photovoltaic solar panels on the 128 m2 roof. In all, 44 panels were required, to provide total energy of just under 15kW.

    RENOLIT roofing solutions were used here to not only provide long-lasting waterproofing, but also to provide the solid structure on which the solar panels could be mounted,” noted Tony Brown. Work involved considerable modifications to the roof, with removal of the original mineral felt and softboard cover back to the timber planking deck. This was then replaced by new plywood sheeting, which served as a base for a RENOLIT ALKORPLAN F system with RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR.

    RENOLIT ALKORPLAN F is a laminated membrane of flexible PVC reinforced with a central layer of woven polyester. Conforming to UEAtc (The European Union for technical approval in construction) guidelines, it provides waterproofing within mechanical fastener systems based on metal decking, wood, concrete, and other materials. Longevity is in excess of 40 years, confirmed by the products BBA Certificate.

    RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR profiles enable reliable and long-lasting installation of solar panels on synthetic flat and pitched roofs, providing a wind-proof, totally watertight, very strong and light-weight solution. It is suitable for new or existing roofs with PVC roofing membranes, for bonded and mechanically fastened systems, and is an ideal carrier system for securing diverse façade materials on the roof.

    RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR provides a unique solution which prevents penetration of the waterproofing. Wind tunnel tests carried out at the independent von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Belgium showed that RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR profiles can withstand air speeds of up to 200 km/h without any problems. Furthermore, in more than a decade of use in real-life applications, RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR has never suffered any wind-related problems.

    Installation of the RENOLIT ALKORPLAN F membrane to protect the Lansbury Heritage Hotel was carried out over 10 days. It then took just one week to put the RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR and PV system in place.