QUARTERMILE EDINBURGH
In the heart of Edimburgh is located Quartermile, a cosmopolitan mix resulting from the conversion of old buildings and the construction of new luxury structures: apartments, caffetterie and shops in a privileged position in the center city, Quartermile is the new and more exciting residential address of the Scottish capital.
Quartemile is a blend of luxury, modernity, and style.
Cafés, shops, and offices are all part of a dynamic, people-friendly environment.
Wood, metal, and futuristic materials, combined with cutting-edge architecture, make Quartermile one of the most interesting complexes in the United Kingdom.
The long-standing collaboration between Foster + Partners and NECE S.p.A. has resulted in multi-award-winning international projects such as the large-scale Quartermile master plan in Edinburgh, where the London-based firm integrated high-tech glass and metal with historic Victorian stone buildings.
To overcome the challenge of the harsh Scottish climate, NECE coated the facades with an exclusive Interference Electrocoloring process in the 25-micron class on extruded aluminum slats, developing three custom shades of gray, which contributed to winning prestigious international Gold Awards for Best Exterior Design and Best Development.
Leading figures in architecture choose NECE anodizing because it offers unmatched aesthetic and structural solutions, depositing metal salts directly into the pores of the aluminum, this technology creates dynamic surfaces that change color and shimmer depending on the angle of natural light, while at the same time, the armored finish guarantees total resistance to corrosion, pollution, and fading, preserving the impeccable aesthetics of luxury exterior facades for decades to come.
COLORING: Interference Electrocoloring for 25 μm class
FINISH: in three different variations of custom gray
RAW MATERIAL USED: extruded slat in alloy 6063
DESIGNERS: Foster + Partners
PRIZES AND AWARDS:
• AWARDS HOUSE – Best Mixed Use Development – GOLD AWARD
• AWARDS HOUSE – Best Exterior Design – GOLD AWARD
• CASA AWARDS – Best Mixed Scherne – SILVER AWARD
• SCOTTISH AWARD – Mixed Use of the year
• BRITISH COUNCIL fo the OFFICE (BCO) – Regional Commercial Work Award (Quartermile One)
The exterior cladding of the buildings was constructed using 7.5-meter-long extruded aluminum bars made of 6063 alloy.
The bars had about ten different geometries, each of which required a different setting for the electroplating bath.
Three different custom shades of gray were created using an interference electroplating process, with chemical pretreatment.
The anodizing process has been certified by NECE in accordance with British standards, which required a 25 μm thickness.
In addition to checking the thickness of the oxide layer, its resistance had to be verified using the so-called Clark Test and its color measured using a spectrophotometer.
The product being processed, which was to be delivered directly to the construction site, had to be perfect in terms of appearance; therefore, the bars were protected by applying a double-layer, UV-resistant PVC film.