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Sounds perfect at the SSE Hydro

Kalzip’s aluminium standing seam system with a Kalzip manufactured the tapered sheets on site for The SSE Hydro’s bowl-shaped central structure rises As well as hosting around 140 events attracting an
weighted Sound Reduction Index (SRI) figure of 53 reasons of speed, economy and efficiency - this majestically from its surrounding lower plinth area audience of one million people each year, The SSE
decibels was specified by Foster + Partners for the involved a two phase mobile production process which houses the entrances, concourse and accesses Hydro is the largest purpose-built concert venue in the
125 metre span roof of The SSE Hydro in Glasgow. within a tightly confined area of the site. Kalzip to the main auditorium. The façade of the main bowl UK and will host the 20th annual MTV Europe Music
This impressive, imaginatively designed and flexible aluminium coils were precision cut into appropriately is wrapped in a continuous translucent envelope of Awards in November 2014.
13,000 capacity live entertainment venue was built wedge-shaped flat sheets of the required length and pneumatic ETFE cushions which enables natural
for the Scottish Exhibition Centre Ltd by Lend Lease then roll-formed into tapered standing seam sheets daylight in to illuminate the foyers during the day and
and the shallow domed Kalzip roof was installed by before being craned up to roof level in challenging, allows the building to ‘glow’ from inside at night.
Martifer UK. blustery conditions when required for installation.

Elliptical on plan and angled in profile, The SSE With a wealth of experience in the technical design,
Hydro’s domed roof comprises over 12,750 manufacture and application of standing seam
square metres of naturally curved tapered Kalzip roofing, Kalzip was able to assure Foster + Partners
sheets in lengths of up to 25 metres installed in six about the company’s ability to deal with the detailed
concentric, almost circular bands. The facade of this geometry required to produce The SSE Hydro’s roof.
amphitheatre-inspired building is 15 metres high at Kalzip also went to great lengths to demonstrate their
the rear rising to 33 metres at the south-facing front ability to achieve the stringent acoustic performance
elevation with the central apex of the roof being 45 criteria needed for the roof through a series of
metres above ground level. rigorous pre-testing processes.

The tapered Kalzip sheet-ends were welded to their To meet the performance criteria specified by Foster
counterparts on the adjoining roof bands as part of + Partners, the resulting multi-layer acoustic Kalzip
the installation process and any exposed raised seam roof build-up achieves a U-value of 0.20 W/m²K, a
ends carefully sealed to ensure the roof’s integrity. weighted Sound Reduction Index of 53 decibels and
The roof sheets were affixed to a Kalzip structural a sound absorption performance of Class A.
deck system supported on a diagonally latticed steel
framework and the decking sheets pre-coated black The specified build-up includes a trough and web
on the underside to improve the experience within the perforated structural deck with acoustic lags to the
auditorium. troughs of the deck profile, an acoustic membrane
sandwiched between layers of acoustic boards and a
In order to achieve the roof’s aesthetic symmetry layer of high density rockfibre insulation topped with a
and maintain the continuity of the standing seam layer of Kalzip Plus 37 quilt insulation.
sightlines, complex geometric calculations were
undertaken by Kalzip to ensure the roof sheets were Located on the north bank of the river Clyde, The
manufactured to the correct length and taper and SSE Hydro sits next to the Scottish Exhibition &
the 25,000 Kalzip thermally broken halter clips were Conference Centre and Kalzip-clad Clyde Auditorium
individually set-out with precision accuracy. (Armadillo) which was also designed by Foster +
Partners and opened to much acclaim in 1997.

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