he appearance of the building was influenced not only by Inchcape’s operational requirements, but also by the VW Design Guide. Extensive liaison with VW AG in Germany ensured that West London Volkswagen fully reflected the company’s global visual identity.

Due to the relatively small site, the building was planned with three floors. This had the added advantage of placing a showroom at the same level as an elevated section of the M4 motorway – one of the main routes into London from the West. Another unique feature is the first floor visitor car park with direct access to showroom space.

Early assistance in design process

During the planning process, Q-railing was asked by Bond Bryan Architects to provide specifications for a balustrade that would surround the escalator void on all three floors. The Q-railing architectural team was involved very early on in the design process and could therefore provide tailored advice in which type of balustrade and fixing to use. To maintain the open and spacious feel of the showrooms, Q-railing recommended a frameless glass balustrade. This would ensure uninterrupted views from all angles.

Q-railing recommended that Patera Engineering should install an Easy Glass Slim base shoe on the side of a raised area of concrete. The base shoe would be aligned precisely with the floor level to create a seamless effect.

In total, around 80m of balustrade were installed at West London Volkswagen. To ensure maximum safety, Q-railing specified that the client should use 19mm toughened glass panels and 42.4mm cap rails. This robust yet cost-effective design can easily cope with forces of up to 1.5kN.

Excellent end result

The Easy Glass Slim balustrade contributes to the state-of-the-art appearance of the new building. This flagship showroom now is a natural fit with what VW wants to reflect: continuing growth and success.

Slim design, big impact

Easy Glass Slim combines modern design, optimal transparency and affordability in one railing system. Able to resist a line load of 1kN, it is ideal for private residences, commercial buildings, shops and more. The base shoes are light and easy to position too. In fact the Slim base shoe is a great piece of design in its own right. It comes with integrated water drainage and the Safety Wedge glass mounting system.

Features:

• Affordable, safe glass balustrade
• Resists line loads up to 1kN
• Lightweight, easy to manoeuvre base shoe
• Stainless steel cladding and aluminium cladding with stainless steel effect available
• Safety Wedge system for easy glass installation
• Integrated water drainage
• Complete your desired look by choosing from a range of handrails and cap rails in a variety of materials, shapes and sizes.