Teaching old doors new tricks: Aesthetics, access, security, and safety benefit from revolving door refurbishments in premier commercial buildings
Standing at an impressive 236 metres, it is the UK's third tallest building and one of the most recognisable buildings in London's skyline. It compares with Melbourne’s Rialto Towers, 251m (which includes a series of striking 5m tall Boon Edam revolving doors), and Sydney’s Chifley Tower, 244m, both completed about the same time, and surpasses Auckland’s new PwC tower, 180m.
Over the years, One Canada Square has remained vibrant and resilient in the face of ever-changing market conditions and technological advances. To this day, it remains the epicentre of Canary Wharf, attracting top talent in finance and business from London and around the world.
Canary Wharf – one of the city’s most environmentally friendly CBD multipurpose areas – was an early adopter of revolving doors for benefits including aesthetics, access control, energy conservation, and security. The area has attracted organisations such as Barclays Bank, Credit Suisse, Ernst and Young, JP Morgan, One Park Drive Residential, and the WeWork office space and co-working facilities.
As it moves with the times, Canary Wharf management has introduced a wide-ranging refurbishment programme including revolving door entrances in many landmark buildings, including One Canada Square.
Lobby area of One Canada Square, using Boon Edam Entrances customised to harmonise with the building’s aesthetic elegance and open and light-filled lobby sheltered from inclement conditions.
As part of an ongoing lobby refurbishment at One Canada, Canary Wharf Management opted to modernise the building's nine original revolving doors to improve the overall experience for tenants and visitors. The refurbishment included updating the existing entrances with a more advanced and efficient system. After thorough research and consultation, Canary Wharf Management chose to retrofit and repurpose the revolving doors to enhance performance, user safety, and security.
Following a rigorous tender process, Boon Edam was appointed to complete the project due to its extensive knowledge and proven ability to find innovative solutions to complex challenges.
One Canada Square after the refurbishment and replacement of the original doors, which is a service also offered by Boon Edam Australia.
“This project was a significant undertaking for us because, unlike other retrofit projects, we were retrofitting a door that was not originally manufactured or installed by Boon Edam. As a result, our team had to familiarise themselves with the original hydraulic-assisted system before moving forward,” says Boon Edam, which is represented in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea by Boon Edam Australia.
Unlike a traditional revolving door, seven of the nine doors feature a bullnose glass design to give the appearance that the doors blend seamlessly with the façade.
During an initial conversation, Canary Wharf Management highlighted that any retrofit must be carried out while retaining the historical structure of the doors.
“Therefore, we had to ensure that all upgrades were carefully thought out to preserve the aesthetic of the landmark building. In addition, with up to 10,000 people entering the lobby each day, it was essential that our work did not disrupt traffic flow in and out of One Canada Square,” said Boon Edam.
Refreshed aesthetics, security, and functionality after the refurbishment.
Solution
“The solution was multifaceted and required careful planning and coordination. The project evolved from an early concept to a detailed design, with our team producing drawings, visuals, and material finishes to help bring the client's vision to life.
“The installation was phased over a series of weekends to avoid disruption to the building's daily operations. We worked closely with Canary Wharf Management and the various subcontractors to create a detailed programme and coordinate logistics to ensure that all aspects of the project were completed seamlessly, and that each installation went smoothly.
“Given the limited space within the existing canopy, we needed to identify a solution to house the new drive and control box. In some instances, the drive and control can be installed beneath the door; however, this was not possible at One Canada Square because the floor is finished with high-quality marble.
Our option was to move upwards and create a canopy extension above each door. This extra space enabled us to upgrade the operation of each door to fully automatic while also installing Instant Lockdown for improved security. This feature enables building management to immediately secure the revolving doors at the push of a button. This fast-acting solution provides effective protection against intrusion and gives Canary Wharf Management greater control in the event of a threat or emergency. Moving the drive and control box into the canopy has also significantly improved the serviceability of the doors for the future.”
As part of the upgrade and to ensure compliance with the latest British Safety Standards, state-of-the-art safety features were installed, including sensors, buffers and emergency stop buttons, to improve safety and accessibility for tenants and visitors.
“To achieve a high-quality finish, our team installed new, custom-made doorsets that are designed with larger profiles than a standard Boon Edam revolving door. By increasing the size of our profiles, we achieved the desired finish, which aligns perfectly with the existing structure. In addition, our experts went over and above to ensure the new canopy and profiles matched the original stainless-steel finish.
“The results truly speak for themselves. The extended canopy and door profiles align with the original door design, perfectly matching the building's exterior and meeting the high standards of Canary Wharf Management.”
Results
One Canada Square is now equipped with a state-of-the-art door entry system that further enhances the safety and security of the building.
“Our team's ability to overcome complex challenges and deliver a custom-made solution has ensured that the revolving doors not only improve accessibility and efficiency, but also blend with the building's iconic architecture. The new automatic doors facilitate the entry and exit of up to 10,000 people per day and have significantly improved the experience for the building's tenants.
Following the success of the project, Canary Wharf Management opted into a premium warranty maintenance agreement to ensure the new revolving doors remain in top condition.
“Because of the high throughput and popularity of the building, Canary Wharf Management chose to invest in critical spares to minimise downtime in the event of a breakdown. “By having critical spares available on-site, our technicians are able to quickly repair faults without delays caused by lead times, meaning they receive a faster, more efficient service,” says Boon Edam.
“We are delighted to have successfully delivered a custom solution that exceeded the client's expectations. Our attention to detail and expertise in coordination, logistics and installation allowed for a seamless retrofit that was completed on schedule and with minimal disruption to the building's daily operations. This project is a testament to expertise in finding innovative solutions to complex challenges through retrofitting. It also demonstrates our commitment to providing custom solutions that cater to the unique needs of each project.
“It is a great example of collaboration between multiple parties who all came together to achieve an outstanding result. The new revolving doors are now an integral part of the building's security system and will continue to serve the needs of occupants and visitors for many years to come.
“This project is a testament to the effectiveness of retrofitting and how it can be used to improve building security, safety, and accessibility. It also demonstrates our commitment to providing custom solutions that cater to the unique needs of each project.”
Local revolving door refurbishments
Following worldwide success with refurbishment projects, Boon Edam is offering entrance refurbishment services in Australasia utilising energy-efficient and architecturally impressive revolving doors for the thousands of commercial buildings erected here since high-rise boom dating from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
Many such mature buildings are now ready for energy re-rating, and security and safety updates that can be built into the latest generation of revolving doors, security doors, and security portals, including Tourniket, all-glass Crystal Tourniket, Tourlock, Duotour, Tournex, Circlelock, Circlelock Combi, and Circleslide models.