"special purpose lighting"

The City of Boston is known for many things – from Fenway Park to the Boston Marathon to the bar from Cheers, the city is full of iconic landmarks, events, cultural assets, education centers, and more. The City is also recognised for its vast history, especially downtown, where hundred-year-old buildings have been preserved or restored. There is also a mixture of new property development, including 33 Congress Street, in the heart of the financial district, which combines the best of historical design with new construction. 33 Congress incorporates more than 400,000 square feet of office and retail space, transforming the historic neighborhood and positioning the area as a dynamic downtown destination. The project was designed by Arrowstreet, an award-winning architecture and design firm, and was led by Jason King, AIA, LEED, AP, BD+C, Senior Associate for Arrowstreet. Blending Historical Features with a Modern Design According to King, the 33 Congress Street building consisted of three different structures that were built at separate times: in 1904, 1906, and in 1922 and then all combined into one space. While the space functioned as one building, there were three separate elevator cores, sets of restrooms, sets of stairs, and more. Those entities needed to be reconfigured into one. The most striking feature of 33 Congress is a new, modern glass and steel structure, containing 6 additional floors of office space that sits on top of the original three masonry buildings. Another important project goal was to upgrade the main lobby to a modern design that allowed public access, increased security for building employees, and respected several historical aspects. “We needed a way to get people into the new, main elevator lobby quickly due to the high volume of traffic that we were anticipating would take place after the redesign,” King said. “We also wanted to create an entrance that would create a better flow of entry from the sidewalk into the building.” The original building had an existing revolving door, but it was small and surrounded by stone. “It was dark and uninviting,” King said. “We were creating an open and airy Class A lobby space and wanted visitors to clearly see the ornate, coffered ceiling and experience the grand and historic nature of the lobby as they entered.” Revolving Door and Speed Gates Provide Aesthetics and Function King implemented a Boon Edam Crystal Tourniket manual revolving door to lead visitors in the double height lobby space. The Crystal Tournket is constructed virtually completely from glass with only a few stainless steel accents to ensure the solidity of the revolving door. It fits seamlessly with modern glass facades but can also be a beautiful eye catcher in more traditional or classic designs. For employee access, the building’s previous design did not incorporate turnstiles to the elevator banks. “The building did have card reader access, but only at certain doors and locations,” King said. King installed four lanes of Boon Edam Lifeline Speedlane Swing speed gates and two Winglock Swing model access gates to provide secure employee access to the building’s upper floors. The Lifeline Speedlane Swing speed gate manages and channels the flow of people entering and moving around buildings. It employs sensors that detect visitors approaching, with pulsing light strips to guide the user. A sleep function saves on energy use. It can be customised with dimensional and glass choices, including corporate identity colors or other options, so that it either blends-in or stands-out from its surroundings. The Boon Edam Winglock Swing is constructed from stainless steel and a single glass panel, and is unobtrusive in nature and design. The access gate easily manages bi-directional traffic, with LED lights that signal if the gate is in use or on standby. The access gate ties into a manned security desk located near the front doors. Employees gain access to the building through either the Lifeline turnstiles, or a Winglock Swing access gate, while building visitors can receive credentials at the security desk. King said, “We started the process looking at Boon Edam from a security and an aesthetic standpoint. We went through multiple product options but always had a Boon Edam product as the basis of the design. We have been happy with Boon Edam entrance solutions and we are planning to use them again for future projects.”

Reading is a vibrant city that boasts home to some of the largest company UK headquarters such as Microsoft and Pepsico calling this Berkshire county home to their UK head offices. Now, looking to transform the way they work, the retail HQ based in Reading upgraded its large office space to start a new era of work life for its current and future employees. This large refurbishment will see all floors of their existing building being completely reconfigured and re-designed that sees a new cafe/bar and staff gym/studio along with a studio mock shop space and office expansion. Within this project, the interior and exterior were dramatically changed and enhanced utilising fresh entry and security solutions. Contact us to see what we can do for your building. Originally and still currently known in Ireland as Penny’s, these UK headquarters resides in the centre of vibrant Reading. Launching its first clothing store back in 1969, the affordable yet innovative fashion retailer offers shoppers a unique shopping experience with its staple large stores, airy layouts and competitive item pricing. Calling it a ‘workplace of the future’ the new UK HQ spans over 130,000sq ft of redesigned space that homes 580+ employees. The challenge in this project was to unobtrusively implement secured entry solutions that could be stylish in appearance but also provide high-quality functionality. Social Open Space with State-of-the-Art Security With the overall theme being togetherness, collaboration and open workspace, there was a requirement for the building to be secured yet keep the spacious feeling. The challenge in this project was to unobtrusively implement secured entry solutions that could be stylish in appearance but also provide high-quality functionality. The entry solution was to implement a bespoke revolving door, combining a Crystal Tourniket and a framed Tourniket. This customised door benefits from a hidden fully automatic drive in the ceiling that also provides LED down lighting for better user visibility. For security, a bank of tall glass Lifeline Speedlane Swings with a wide-lane setup was specified. Contact us to see what we can do for your building.

Ferrero’s new global HQ gathers in one building with nearly 1,300 people, previously spread over five different offices. The building, with a total floor space of almost 30,000 m², opened in December 2019. The building is designed to evoke the atmosphere of an Italian square: a vast atrium is surrounded by two multi-storey office wings. Boon Edam was appointed to craft and install the golden revolving door, on behalf of facade builder Groven + Portal, who in turn worked for general contractor Felix Giorgetti. The colour of the revolving door makes a visual reference to the world-famous golden chocolate - Ferrero Rocher. The Casa Ferrero administrative building consists of two blocks built on a common basement. It was the combination of these plots, and the architectural skills, that resulted in what you see today: a building that is both impressive and elegant as well as being a pleasant and functional workplace for the employees of the food group. Ferrero’s colours are subtly incorporated into the classic facades, with bronze tones and a gilded effect over the windows as well as the entrance glass panels. This effect was achieved by applying a gold-coloured textile fabric to the laminated glass during the project’s construction. Behind the glass facade of the entrance, the most jaw-dropping area of Ferrero’s headquarters unfolds - a central atrium that connects the two blocks and is entirely covered by a glass roof. The spacious atrium is designed to function as a reception and meeting space. Horizontal circulation between the two blocks is facilitated by connecting walkways with a range of 20 meters. The vertical circulation occurs through panoramic glass elevators. The central atrium’s glass-roofed space is open to life within the company and encourages interaction between employees. This 11-storey building, including six upper levels (ground floor + 5 floors) and five lower levels, adapts perfectly to its urban surroundings. The office areas are spread over nine floors, taking advantage of maximum light for the interior space. Levels -3 to -5 include technical areas and parking spaces. Ferrero’s wish was for a functional and pleasant building for everyone who works there. We think they have achieved this in spades!

The Berkeley Hotel is a luxurious and iconic hotel, housed in the fashionable district of Knightsbridge, London. When renovations were required, Roger Stirk Harbour & Partners designed a glass façade entrance to the hotel. Boon Edam Ltd was consulted to provide a stylish entry solution to complement the updated lobby entrance and reflect the luxurious image of the Berkeley Hotel brand. Business Challenges The hotel entrance required a renovation which would give guests an instant welcome upon arrival, whilst also providing a practical function to meet access needs. For a hotel as prestigious as The Berkeley, first impressions are hugely important. The entrance and welcome given by a hotel provides the guest with an indication of what to expect from their stay, so therefore the entry solution was a key consideration within the renovation project. With a constant flow of visitors in and out of the lobby, the entrance door is vital in maintaining a comfortable climate and pleasant atmosphere for guests. As sliding or swinging doors bring in cold draughts, the specification called for a revolving door to keep out wind, noise and dust. The project architect specified that the door was to be fully automatic and made entirely of glass to match the newly renovated lobby. However, for a door to be fully automatic, there must be several sensors and buffers which would have impacted the all-glass aesthetic of the entrance. Boon Edam was appointed to provide a tailored solution which could meet all the specific functional requirements, without needing to compromise on the luxurious style and quality desired. The Boon Edam Solution A Custom Designed Crystal Tourniket Due to the high-end nature of The Berkeley Hotel, attention to detail was paramount. Multiple meetings were held with the architect to ensure that Boon Edam’s team of experts could fully capture all requirements to provide the perfect, bespoke solution. Boon Edam’s Crystal Tourniket door was selected for the entrance of The Berkley Hotel; one of the most impressive and eye-catching revolving doors available. A Crystal Tourniket is constructed almost entirely from glass, with added stainless steel accents to support the solidity of the door. The End Result The Berkeley Hotel is now home to a grand lobby entrance provided by Boon Edam, which utilises natural wood in the drum wall of the Crystal Tourniket revolving door to provide guests with a warm and elegant welcome. In combination with the all-glass door set and modern lighting, the bespoke solution truly reflects the prestigious Berkley Hotel brand.

Warwick Hotel Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, PA, is quite satisfied with the functioning and cost savings of their Boon Edam Tournex revolving door. The Tournex is an example of a classic automatic revolving door and is designed to handle high capacity applications. The historic building housing the Warwick Hotel Rittenhouse Square originally had a manual revolving door flush with the building’s facade. Somewhere along the way, it was decided to remove the relatively smaller gauge revolving door and replace the entrance with a double set of sliding doors. “Our HVAC system was designed for a revolving door entrance,” said Ray Hewitt, the hotel’s Director of Engineering, “we wanted to put a revolving door back in to address the negative pressure we were experiencing in the lobby.” That negative pressure was pulling in cold air during the winter months, and cooled, conditioned air was escaping out the double doors in the summer. During a complete lobby renovation project a few years back, designers worked to return to a revolving door lobby entrance. Because the Warwick is in a historic building, they could not change the facade of the building, so they pushed the entire entrance into the lobby itself. The architects and the designer chose a 12’ diameter Boon Edam Tournex automatic revolving door, with three door wings and a highly polished (mirror) stainless steel finish. The Boon Edam door is enclosed in a stylish glass cube, accented with purple neon lighting. Now, those entering the hotel first pass through a double set of sliding doors at the building envelope, leading to the revolving door. Swing doors are also available on either side of the revolving door to enter the lobby itself. The effect of the sliding doors and the revolving door in a cube is to virtually eliminate air flow from outside in, and vice versa. The Warwick has 301 hotel rooms and 106 permanent residents. On any given day, between guests, residents, staff, and visitors, up to 1000 people are passing through the entrance. Since the installation of the new entrance, the effect has been night and day—guest and visitors utilise the lobby space longer and in greater numbers. A big community table is usually filled all day long and the lobby is accented with attractive fireplaces. The hotel lobby also offers two full service food and beverage outlets (Bluestone Lane & Prime Rib Steakhouse), with a third to be announced sometime this year. In addition to a now grand sense of arrival and more useable, comfortable space, the new entrance is also paying dividends on energy savings. “With the old entrance, our HVAC was running constantly, it could not keep up. Now, the unit can shut down periodically; that’s good for the health of the system, and we’re seeing substantial savings on energy bills,” said Hewitt. The Boon Edam revolving door has an important feature for installations like a hotel or large office building—in the event of an emergency, the doors stop and the wings can be “book folded” to create wide open ingress and egress. The hotel has a maintenance contract with Advanced Door, but since installation the Boon Edam revolving door has been virtually trouble free.