Albion Wharf

As another futuristic architectural landmark took shape at Albion Wharf on the South Bank of the Thames, the challenge of developing a bespoke access system to enable the structure to be kept pristine was awarded to SCX.

With its unusual curved structure designed by Fosters, the high profile building provides a number of £1million plus apartments. The brief for the access system commissioned by investors and developers Exterior International was for it to be discreet - a system with quiet, smooth, reliable operation manufactured to the highest standards to complement the aesthetics of the building.

Our solution was to design and manufacture a one-off high tech vertical access gantry mast, capable of traversing along the curved front of the building and matching the convex profile of the structure's façade.

A number of novel features are incorporated into the system. These include a drive system electronically linked, rather than the conventional mechanical linked option. The mast remains vertical at all times by measuring the displacement angle during operation. Any adjustments are then made automatically by the onboard monitoring system.

To minimise the weight of the mast, we designed a trussed box structure formed with curved members compatible with building's profile. To achieve self-levelling of the access cradle, the aluminium alloy platform is articulated by a series of actuators fixed to the platform.