Lead-clad Steel planters were commissioned for Rosewood London, newly-opened following an £85m refurbishment of the landmark Pearl Assurance headquarters on High Holborn.
The original design intent was for the planters to be manufactured in solid Lead, but this created two key problems:
• 4 nr. imposing conical planters [W 1190 x H 1196mm] were too large to be made in solid Lead, as the planters would collapse under their own weight,
• 10 nr. large trough planters were too heavy in solid Lead to be safely installed on top of a wall surrounding an outdoor seating area.
The solution was to design and manufacture galvanised Steel planter liners, which were then clad in 3mm thick Lead sheeting. The resulting composite planters deliver the aesthetic of Lead desired by the architect, whilst relying on the superior strength and strength-to-weight ratio of steel for the planters’ technical performance.
Using the above innovative techniques, robust Steel planter liners can be clad not only with Lead, but also with other soft metals – such as Brass/Bronze and Zinc. The resulting composite planters are typically stronger and lighter, and can be made larger, than would be the case using the soft metals alone; and this extends the use of the soft metals into environments and applications which were previously not possible.
With two decades of accumulated knowledge, our understanding of the requirements of the UK landscape industry is second-to-none, and our in-house technologies and skills are leading edge.
We are a leading specialist supplier to the exterior and interior landscape industries, and our products feature in numerous schemes for corporations, public authorities, and private residences.
