Airports/railway stations

The Old Royal Station in Ballater

VELUX Modular Skylights brightens the experience for visitors at The Old Royal Station Ballater

Dining area with vintage train carriage and VELUX roof windows.

Aberdeenshire, Scotland,
United Kingdom

Location

Refurbishment

Project type

Halliday Fraser Munro

Architect

Morgan Sindall
(main contractor)
Aberdeenshire Council
(client)

Further participants

2018

Project year

Cafe with vintage train carriage and VELUX roof windows, elegant seating.

Showroom with high ceiling, visible rafters, and VELUX roof windows.

Rooftops with VELUX windows in a town, featuring metal and slate materials.

Visitors to the Old Royal Station are treated to optimum levels of natural light when dining alongside a replica of the Royal Carriage of Queen Victoria.

The Old Royal Station ceased operations in 1966, and to celebrate its rich heritage was used as a tourist information centre and museum for 15 years.

In May 2015 however, the B-Listed building was devastated by fire, with the flames damaging 90% of the structure including the original roof and rooflights.

As a local landmark responsible for bringing tourism into the area, Aberdeenshire Council committed to a £3m restoration of the station.

As part of the rebuild, the team had to reinstall rooflights that were as similar to the originals as possible, but to meet modern building regulations, they also required a system that was more energy efficient.

VELUX modular skylights were chosen for their sustainability credentials and exceptional energy performance as well as their slim profiles, which enabled the rooflights to sit as flush as possible with the roof.

The VELUX Commercial team worked closely with Morgan Sindall to specify bespoke sizes and ensure a perfect fit on site.

Products used in project

3 × Northlight

Quantity of modules: 34

VELUX flat roof window with exterior awning blind for heat protection.

Northlight 25-90°

A rooflight series for sloped, shed or saw tooth roofs.

Northlight 25-90°

A rooflight series for sloped, shed or saw tooth roofs.

"We were very impressed with the system and how easy it was to install. VELUX Modular Skylights was an attractive solution that met all of our requirements – energy efficient and ready to fit."

Patrick Johnson, Project ManagerMorgan Sindall

Installation

To reduce costs and save time, Morgan Sindall used their own onsite joiners to install the VELUX modular skylights. This was possible as the product is pre-fabricated, with the glazing already installed in frames, and includes factory-made flashings, making the rooflights easier to install than traditional systems.