London Dock, Block C1

”Sapphire’s communication, positivity and helpful attitude have always made us feel valued whenever we’ve needed help. Their logistics around quality standards, deliveries and installation are second to none.”

– Christopher Roberts, St George PLC

History

Wapping is the historic home of landmarks such as the UK’s oldest riverside tavern, The Prospect of Whitby, the headquarters of News International’s printing and publishing works and the famous Tobacco Dock on the Thames waterfront. Wapping is now also home to London Dock, 7.5 acres of luxurious open spaces and 1,800 high-quality homes fitted with Sapphire’s cantilever balconies.

Challenge

London Dock C1 was faced with several intriguing challenges from the outset. Firstly, the requested design contained a sloped façade, meaning the balcony connections could not be fit as they normally would be. Secondly, London Dock features a water garden and a distinct water feature on the ground floor, meaning extra care would need to be taken during installation to not harm the area. Finally, access to the façade was limited when fitting the arms as there were no scaffolds or mast climbers available.

Solution

Fitting all 134 balconies with privacy screens at London Dock C1 was made simpler through Glide-On balconies and a counterbalance, meaning the sloped façade could have balconies installed from the top down when necessary. Furthermore, the water feature was considered through the use of a crane set off to one side, avoiding the water feature entirely both when the balconies were being stored and when installed. Finally, access to the façade for arm fitting was solved by using a unitized façade by Martifer – the arms were cast in place at the manufacturing stage giving our accredited installers the access they needed to install the balconies.