Tower Bridge walkway wins ‘Best window with a view 2017’ title

The glazed walkway at London’s Tower Bridge attraction, which was designed and manufactured by GLASSOLUTIONS, has been voted as winner of MyGlazing.com’s ‘Best window with a view 2017’ competition.

Since February this year, people working in and visiting tourist attractions and public buildings had been encouraged to submit photos of their favourite views through windows across the UK, on MyGlazing.com. A judging panel of experts in the architectural, tourism, photography and art industries selected four best views, which went on to a public vote to determine the winner.

The walkway allows over 600,000 visitors a year to see a unique view of the bridge mechanism and road below, through two glass walkway floors 42 metres above the River Thames. GLASSOLUTIONS fulfilled the contract to design and manufacture the one-way glass, which has been inserted into the floor of each of the two 11.5-metre-long walkways on the Glade 1 listed building.

The glass specification was developed to accommodate major external forces such as wind-loading and the potential impact should a passing vessel strike the walkways. The project involved the removal of existing floors and the installation of a steel frame into which the new 80mm thick glass floor panels, comprising seven layers of glass capable of withstanding the weight of six elephants, were inserted. A top “sacrificial” layer of glass, which can be replaced quickly and easily should any damage occur, without affecting the structural integrity of the floor.

Mike Butterick, marketing director at GLASSOLUTIONS, says: “This is well-deserved recognition for Tower Bridge - not only from an aesthetics point of view but also from a structural perspective. By designing in a way to easily change the top layer, we always intended to help Tower Bridge keep the walkways in superb condition and stand the test of time for many to enjoy. We are incredibly proud that our expertise helped this project come to fruition.”