To serve the purpose of creating a distinct structure to function as a newspaper stand, Heatherwick created a 2.5 meter tall cold-patinated bronze-clad kiosk with mild steel and plywood frame, and a glass fiber roof balanced over a polycarbonate clerestory window.
The kiosk is flexible in nature and displays a bronze and steel structure. It comes as an ergonomic alternative to sell newspapers, de-cluttering the Borough road. The kiosk can be personalized to integrate extra display space or refrigerators as specified by the vendors, and has been created after understanding the needs and views of vendors.
All the required items are preinstalled in the kiosk to save set up time for the vendors. A high platform has been provided for the vendors to have clear view of the surroundings.
The kiosks feature tiered shelves displaying magazines and newspapers, with sliding doors rotating to reveal more display shelves. These shelves are supported by four stepped steel ribs that also hold the structure in shape.
The ribs are CNC cut from 15mm thick flat steel that form the external walls, fixed to a rigid base or grillage of steel beams. This is connected at the top by the roof frame which cantilevers out, about 1.5 meters over the door mechanism.
Two millimeters thick steel sheet was welded between the ribs to form a diaphragm and provide shelving for the newspapers. Plywood clads the steel sheet from inside, while 1mm thick brass sheet is glued and riveted onto the outer structure.
The door features a rotating mechanism which uses two nylon wheels running along a curved beam at the kiosk’s base. The doors have a tendency to fall outwards by default. Ties and struts at the top and bottom, connected back to pivots concealed in the roof and floor, help keep the doors in place.
To make the kiosks functional, a flat back wall was integrated helping it to lie installed against a wall or be used as a free standing kiosk. The kiosks are stable and do not require any fixing, as extra weight added on the steel work prevents it from overturning. The kiosk comes with six screw legs that can be fixed to the structure when required to install on uneven surface.
The company already has installed two such kiosks in Earls Court Tube station and another at Sloane Square. Two others are ready to be installed soon.
