An ideal location, especially if you are a rail enthusiast with a fascination for quirky architecture, can be found at one of London’s latest apartment conversions. Originally part of St. Pancras Railway Station and the adjoining Midland Grand Hotel (now the five-star Renaissance Hotel), St. Pancras Chambers is a complex of 67 individually designed apartments carved out of the interior of George Gilbert Scott’s gothic Grade I masterpiece fronting London’s Euston Road.

The apartments occupy the top five floors of this magnificent building, which began its life in 1873. However, to create high calibre living spaces within a building boasting a maze of gigantic vaults and timber roof frames represented a real challenge to developers, The Manhattan Loft Corporation, particularly when it came to providing mod-cons in a building which had lain abandoned for 75 years.

Perhaps one of the most spectacular apartments belongs to Peter Tompkins. Spreading over two floors, it incorporates the main access to the service tower of St. Pancras Station’s 80m high landmark clock, which cleverly helps to create a living room with a ceiling 10m high, mezzanines and balconies - all with unparalleled views across the station.

Peter says: “Most of the apartments were sold off-plan, so it wasn’t until last winter that we owners began to realise just how cold they could be. With the original single-glazed lancet windows retained in line with English Heritage requirements, even after installing seven radiators in one of my rooms, I was unable to heat the apartment adequately.” 

Speaking on behalf of several owners, Peter goes on to say: “We contacted Selectaglaze because we knew that secondary glazing was permitted by heritage bodies. We were also aware that to thermally insulate the windows in St. Pancras Chambers, because of the sheer size and multitude of shapes, would present a challenge. Selectaglaze produced individually tailored secondary units that exceeded all our expectations, not only from a thermal point of view, but because we no longer hear the noise from Euston Road.”

In addition to Peter’s ‘Tower Room’, where the windows have been treated with Selectaglaze’s Series 45 slimline side-hung casements, the 4.6m high master bedroom with bathroom mezzanine, features four monumental windows treated with their Series 30 slimline lift-out units which offer a practical way of treating windows that are rarely used but which need access for cleaning or maintenance. Other windows within the apartment were treated with Series 10 horizontal sliding units. 

“This is a highly theatrical space and I feel privileged to live here, particularly now that cold days are a thing of the past,” Peter concludes.

Guidance notes on energy performance

Royal Warrant Holder Selectaglaze is one of the UK’s leading secondary glazing specialists. The company recently launched a new Guidance Note on the ability of secondary glazing to improve a building’s energy performance. This is proving to be of great interest to owners and managers of all types of buildings looking to reduce energy usage and so manage costs and environmental impacts. A new comprehensive Product Guide demonstrating the range and diversity of styles is also available, together with technical information, detailed drawings and photography.

The launch of these two publications comes in a year which sees the company celebrate its 45th anniversary and move into new purpose designed factory and office premises in St. Albans.

Tel: 01727 837 271
Email: enquiries@selectaglaze.co.uk 
Web: www.selectaglaze.co.uk