In 2013, the Shubette House in London was due for an upgrade. Commissioned by Pinnacle Developments, architects at HTA Design LLP (Hunt Thompson) were tasked with creating a design that would satisfy the need for a mixed-use space. The intent for the building was that it would be used for commercial, residential, and hospitality needs. The end result was a magnificent, color-shifting modular building that became one of London’s tallest modular structures.

There are a plethora of advantages that are typically associated with modular construction. For example, parts are prefabricated off-site. This results in the reduction of on-site waste, and a decreased likelihood of on-site human error. In the case of the mixed-use development, Vision Modular Systems (VMS) manufactured the prefabricated modules, where they were then delivered on-site by crane. Exterior cladding and roofing, however, was installed on site.

The exterior of the development’s visually-stunning Novotel Hotel features protruding box windows, which give the hotel a unique three-dimensional appearance. The hotel’s facade is further enhanced with the installment of Alucobond® Plus Spectra Cupral, a warm, color-shifting aluminum composite material. Installed by Booth Muirie, the ACM’s visually-striking appearance can be attributed to the coating systems that were applied to the cladding material.

Beckers’ Beckry®Fluor and Beckry®Flon, which were used to give the Novotel Hotel its unique hue-changing color and the protective topcoat, provide a plethora of benefits when applied to architectural surfaces. With Beckry®Fluor and Beckry®Flon, buildings enjoy longevity, durability, color and gloss retention, and weatherability in the face of UV radiation, water, salt, and any other elemental factors that could possibly result in coating degradation.