was appointed to design, manufacture and install an entire structure, including specialist heated glass walls, steel structure and roof, for a new cafeteria space at Southend Civic Centre.

The new structure was built within the courtyard of the 80’s council buildings using a steel frame construction. Heated glass units were used to create the structural frameless glass walls around the new cafeteria, allowing light to enter the surrounded space whilst simultaneously providing the heat source to the café.

Double glazed heated glass units were able to provide the sole heat source to the new space from the glass walls. This allows all areas of the cafeteria to be utilised with no cold drafts from the large glass elevations. The radiant heat source from heated glass units then provides a comfortable and uniform heat throughout the café space.

In the solid roof, frameless fixed rooflights of different shapes and sizes were installed. Each fixed rooflight included a coloured interlayer to create a coloured glass rooflight providing dynamic lighting through the eating area.

On the external construction of the roof IQ designed back painted glass panels in a light grey as external cladding to cover the solid roof construction and create a flush external appearance to the new café space.