Context

GEZE UK supplied a number of door operators, including the Slimdrive SL NT, for the glazed frontage of Glasgow Fort shopping and leisure complex which launched a third phase of shops and leisure facilities in a 175,000 sq ft extension in 2018.

Glasgow Fort has over 100 outlets and is one of the few purpose-built uncovered shopping villages with a two-sided mall design intended to recreate a traditional high street.

Installing the right doors was a crucial part of the design and specification of the new phase – not only to protect the new stores from the elements – but to maintain the fluidity of the stainless steel and glass aesthetic within its horseshoe layout.

Products supplied

GEZE UK worked with Gray & Dick Ltd and Greenfield Contracting to create the entrances for M&S and seven other shops and restaurants on the north of the site where the new development is located.

The 80,000 sq ft Marks & Spencer department store is housed within an iconic three-storey stainless steel-clad pavilion. The store entrance has four sets of automatic sliding doors, powered by GEZE’s Slimdrive SL NT operators, to form a lobby and display area. The Slimdrive SL NT blends seamlessly into the uncluttered glazed frontage. With an operator height of just 7cm it is almost invisible, virtually silent in operation and can move leaf weights of up to 125kg - ideal for buildings with high levels of footfall and a continuous flow of people moving in various directions.

Slimdrive SL NTs were used to create the entrances for 6 other units. Fat Face, Footasylum, Mamas & Papas, River Island, Wagamama and Waterstones chose seamless entrances, each with a pair of automatic sliding doors which provided flow and continuity with their glazed façades.

For JD Sports, a much larger unit, two Slimdrive SLT telescopic automatic sliding door operators were used to create two entrances across the span of its frontage – each fixed to glass. Like the Slimdrive SL NT, they operate quietly and boast an elegant drive design with a 7cm operator height.

Comment

“Glasgow Fort has become a ‘go-to’ destination for shopping and leisure in the region as it combines great facilities and shops, with an open, airy environment and contemporary design."

“The third phase of the development needed to combine the requirements of the businesses going into the new premises and incorporate functionality, safety and security while retaining the aesthetic values of the development as a whole.”

- Martin Revie, General Manager for GEZE UK in Scotland