Outokumpu stainless steel contributes to giving the busy Leicester Square in central London its new rejuvenated look.
Photo courtesy of Midas Technologies
New unique stainless steel balustrades and gates are installed around the garden as part of a redevelopment project to modernise Leicester Square to provide Londoners and visitors alike a pleasant public space and meeting point.
Outokumpu has supplied approximately 80 tonnes of standard austenitic 316 and duplex stainless steel to Midas Technologies (GB) Ltd. for the manufacture of the balustrading and gates for the park area around the square. The panel sheets were pre-polished by a sub-contractor and cut to desired specification at Outokumpu Plate Service Centre in Sheffield, United Kingdom. To facilitate subsequent fabrication and erection the stainless steel was supplied in separate panel parts, which were finally hand-polished to mirror finish prior to installation.
"This has been a complex project requiring close cooperation between Outokumpu and Midas to meet a very tight schedule of 6 months, whilst also providing the customer with flexibility to change specification as the unique design evolved. The project has been a prime example of Outokumpu's capabilities to provide a set of products, added value services as well as project management coordination", says Danny Crossley from Outokumpu Plate Service Centre in the UK.
Mark Lock, Managing Director of Midas Technologies, continues: "Outokumpu provided us with a seamless extension to our own facility and high quality customer service ethos. This was an extremely difficult project technically and the combination of different skills of all the staff involved, ensured that the specification and delivery were met. We look forward to working with Outokumpu again as this team work approach must be capitalised."
Stainless steel is an ideal material of choice for the built outdoor environment. It is cost effective in respect to longevity against other materials as well as corrosion resistant and durable. Stainless steel is also aesthetically pleasing and can be tailored to give structures a unique appearance according to design. At Leicester Square, the unique balance of the design and mirror polished finish reflects the surrounding landscaping and the ever changing colours and movements of the square make it a truly organic, dynamic and perpetual piece of architecture.
The refurbishment project of Leicester Square was headed by Westone JV and main constructor SIAC Construction. The square was officially opened 23 May 2012.