Project Challenges

Spanning an impressive 269,000 ft², Spectrum House is a landmark not only of architectural but also of cultural significance. In addition to being an operational distribution centre, this historically important building has also become a pop culture icon, featuring in the James Bond film ‘A View to Kill’.

The building’s original waterproof covering, which consisted of a single-ply membrane, began to show signs of ageing, suffering from failings such as splits, delamination and general wear-and-tear. The resulting leaks had compromised the integrity of the building below, and with the ownership of the building due to change hands, a cost effective and rapid solution was required.

This presented a unique challenge: how could this roof be recovered to provide long-lasting protection, whilst faithfully preserving the building’s unique aesthetic?

The Stormcure Solution

Stormcure’s Protec FW-25 System was the ideal choice to meet these complex requirements. As a cold-applied liquid membrane, Protec FW-25 provides a seamless, joint-free finish that is perfect for the roof’s undulating surface and intricate details found at Spectrum House. This system not only addressed the waterproofing needs but also helped with the natural movement of the building’s vast size, along with respecting its historical and cultural importance. The system boasts a third-party verified minimum 25-year lifespan, ensuring Spectrum House will be protected well into the future.

The Protec FW-25 System forms a continuous waterproof membrane without any seams, joints, or welds, and impervious to water, which was critical for preventing leaks in a roof with such intricate details. This feature meant that each of the 340 fixing points from the visually striking exterior roof supports were seamlessly encapsulated.

Another key benefit of the Protec FW-25 System is that the membrane is cold applied, with no risk of hot works during the installation, this ensured both safety for the installers as well as the building’s delicate structure.

Installing the Protec FW-25 System on a building of such importance required precision and a phased approach to ensure minimal disruption to operations, due to the fact the building’s roof is made up of 30 individual sections. The process was carefully executed, with teams working on different sections of the roof, one by one, to allow the facility to remain operational throughout the refurbishment.

Spectrum House’s roof was split into 12 individual gridded areas for the waterproofing works, which enabled the contractors to focus carefully on each area due to the vast size of the roof. This also helped the Stormcure team from a quality control perspective during their regular site visits, as they were able to inspect the individual areas as they were completed, as opposed to surveying an entire 269,098ft² all at once upon reaching completion.

Stormcure’s innovative Protec FW-25 System not only met the complex demands of the Spectrum House roof, but also preserved the building’s architectural and cultural legacy. All work was completed to specification and met the client’s expectations. The Protec FW-25 System has delivered thermally efficient, waterproof protection that will serve for many years. Following a final, comprehensive inspection, the warranty was authorized, leaving the client fully satisfied.