Amazon Car Park, Wembley

Client:
Berry Systems

Products:
Framed Expanded Mesh
Perforated Panels

Project Background
Located in the bustling London Borough of Brent, the Amazon distribution warehouse at Neasdon occupies a prominent position on the periphery of the famous Wembley Park; home to the 90,000-seater Wembley Stadium, current headquarters for the England National Football Team and having famously hosted the 1966 Football World Cup; it is undoubtedly steeped in footballing history. Today, the wider Wembley Park area is the UK’s largest single Build-To-Rent site and considered to be London’s largest and most exciting regeneration projects, incorporating hotels, restaurants, housing, green spaces and shopping outlets and hosting festivals and large-scale events year-round. Flanking these popular public spaces, the surrounding business parks are subject to a high level of road traffic in an area where parking provision is at a premium.

Responding to the need for additional convenient and safe staff parking at their Neasdon warehouse, fuelled by increased demand for online retail services, Amazon UK recently invested in a brand new dedicated multi storey parking facility on site. The new facility enables more efficient logistics on site for delivery vehicles and features secure electric charge points as a key part of Amazon’s strategy to adopt a sustainable approach to goods delivery nationwide.

The Solution
Working closely with long-term client Berry Systems, specialists in turn key solutions for multi-storey car parks, Ash & Lacy developed project-specific perforated cladding solutions designed to meet the functional and safety requirements stipulated by Amazon. As well as providing a practical and simple solution for the external cladding, the road-facing elevation also features a unique perforated design that pays homage to the rich footballing history associated with Wembley. The perforated aluminium panels depict images of young people enjoying a game of football; a scene that is mirrored within the surrounding green spaces and accurately reflects the popularity of the ‘beautiful game’ in this area.

Details of Products & Systems

Expanded Mesh
The majority of the main car park structure is clad in a bespoke framed expanded mesh system manufactured using highly durable 3mm gauge 1050A grade aluminium finished with a ‘Goosewing Grey’ powder coating, supplied according to Qualicoat standards. The bespoke mesh pattern selected by the client employs a 23mm strand width with a high open area to allow sufficient ventilation and weather protection for the interior of the structure. The majority of the Expanded mesh sheets were produced in 2075 x 1185mm sizes, welded to a specially designed slimline aluminium edge frame to facilitate accurate and speedy installation on site as well as ensuring a consistent standard of flatness across the elevations.

Perforated Panels
Complimenting the large expanses of expanded mesh cladding, perforated 3mm gauge 1050A grade aluminium panels were designed to incorporate the architect’s desire for imagery features. Using specialist software, the proposed images were converted into perforated designs with varying solid and perforated areas creating a bold contrast. The bespoke (R35.0mm T52.0mm) pattern specified from the Ash & Lacy utilises round punched holes and has a free area of 41 % to accommodate airflow and solar control requirements.

Client Testimonial
“We engaged with Ash & Lacy early in the design process of this scheme to ensure we had a collaborative approach to the design. Working with the team we were able to provide high quality replicable samples to the client for approval and also ensure that the natural ventilation required were met for the car park.” James Fildes, Bid & Proposals Manager, Berry Systems