VELUX Glazing Panels bring daylight to an 18th century Cornish jail to support the transformation into a luxury hotel
All that was left of the powerful-looking Victorian Bodmin Jail in Cornwall, was a ruin without a roof, with vegetation slowly taking over. In 2015, Mallino Development appointed the services of Twelve Architects to undertake an impressive redevelopment project of the jail and turn it into a modern and aesthetically quite different hotel. To deliver the modern comforts hotel guests expect during their stay and the thermal efficiency required for sustainable operation of the hotel, a holistic system using VELUX Glazing Panels was designed. It took 214 VELUX Glazing Panels, formerly known as Vitral A98 Glazing, to recapture the original rooflighting sitting above the two historic wings.
Whilst the plan was to create an outstanding building, the Grade II listed status, the poor thermal efficiency of the remaining structure and a colony of bats that made themselves at home there were amongst the many challenges to overcome. The design for the new slate roof contained a large rooflight area and the architects were keen to specify thermally efficient, opening rooflights that would fit into the energy strategy for the new hotel, provide summer comfort ventilation and fulfil the necessary smoke clearance and fire strategy.
Importantly, the ideal rooflights crucially needed to resemble the original historic roof windows, complete with thin glazing bars to satisfy the planning requirements and fit within the clear lines of the new design.
VELUX Glazing Panels were the only solution capable of delivering on all requirements.