The Ellen Terry Building
Coventry’s former Gaumont Palace Theatre was given a new lease of life as the Ellen Terry Arts and Media Building for Coventry University. As a grade II listed building, the project boasts an art deco façade that has been a characteristic feature of Coventry’s city centre since 1880. HTL Windows and Doors Ltd called upon Kestrel Aluminium Systems to help give the building a fresh, modern look while retaining its heritage as an icon from the golden age of cinema.
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Systems
Thermally Broken Commercial Doors
Enhanced security
A key element of the refurbishment was to upgrade the doors across the front of the building to improve their thermal performance and security. It was vital to find a solution that matched the original façade but met the requirements of the building’s purpose as a university facility.
To ensure a high level of security for both students and academic staff, the central automated doors needed to be operated using card scanners, with the end doors functioning as fire escapes. Kestrel thermally broken commercial doors were chosen thanks to their PAS24 compliance and low U values of 1.8w/m2. The slim sight lines were emulated using lay bars on the glass to perfectly match the original façade above.
Light penetration
As the lobby was previously a dark, poorly lit area of the building, a key aim when refurbishing the doors was to increase the amount of natural light entering the space to make it a more inviting entrance. The use of the Kestrel thermally broken commercial doors allowed additional light to flood into the lobby and brighten up the area.
Thrilled with their new Kestrel systems, the University commented: “Your team have done an excellent job and we have received lots of positive feedback on how much lighter the internal foyer is now and how the new door design recaptures the building’s original design purpose as a cinema/theatre.”