Designed by Bblur Architecture, the Slough Bus Station is the first part of a £400 million ($629.6 million) mixed used regeneration masterplan. Once completed, the ‘Heart of Slough’ project will include new offices, residential homes, leisure facilities and a library. The new bus station, whose design has already been exhibited at the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy, will replace the outdated 1970s Brunel Bus Station.
Comprising a unique 140m feature length canopy, the new bus station will include 10 bus bays, three layover spaces and associated bus stands, alongside enhanced passenger facilities including waiting rooms, a coffee shop, newsagents, toilet facilities and cycle stands. To provide reliable and efficient access from the waiting rooms to the buses, Bblur Architecture specified DORMA ES 200 sliding door operators.
With the waiting rooms being partly open to the elements, it was essential that the sliding door operators would be resilient to various weather conditions. They also had to be robust to withstand constant use and aesthetically attractive to fit in with the modern, sleek design of the building. With its global expertise on the provision of products for virtually any environment, DORMA recommended its ES 200.
The ES 200 is designed to meet the requirements of almost every automatic sliding door application. Easy to install and set-up, it features a powerful motor and a dynamic acceleration/deceleration control capability to ensure safe and reliable operation. The operating performance of the ES 200 is matched by its stylish, clean design, with a sophisticated appearance that complements any interior design scheme.
Available as a component kit or as a complete pre-assembled operator, it is suitable for a wide range of door widths, weights and functionality. It is also available as an integrated operator in DORMA’s sliding door systems.
Working with specialist subcontractor Environmental Technology (Entech), DORMA supplied its ES 200 sliding door operators for installation on 11 sets of sliding glass doors.
Brian Bailey, MD at Entech has stated that the project’s unusual design demanded design flexibility which was provided by DORMA.
In order to ensure passenger safety and maintain a comfortable environment in the waiting rooms, the ES 200 sliding door operators have been fitted with additional sensors. These enable bus drivers to open the doors when they pull in to collect passengers, ensuring the doors are only open when required. The integration of the remote sensors stops passengers being able to walk out into the bus bays and minimises cold air or rain entering the waiting rooms. To ensure complete safety, the doors are fitted with an override system.
The Slough Bus Station project is due for completion in early 2011.
