In 2005, Norman & Underwood, based on the same site in the centre of Leicester since 1825, were forced to relocate their glazing and roofing businesses in order to facilitate the regeneration of the Highcross area of the city. They were particularly pleased, therefore, to be invited by Sir Robert McAlpine to provide a wide range of specialist glazing services to their development of Leicester’s new Highcross Quarter.

One of the initial phases of the three year development project was the refurbishment of the existing ‘Shires’ Shopping Mall which included the installation of two new 22 metre scenic lifts with associated balustrades and automatic entry doors to three car park levels plus new public toilets.

Norman & Underwood’s scope of works included the supply and installation of:

• Two structural glass lift shaft envelopes, which were formed by laminated (12/2/6) Optiwhiteä glass panels using the Pilkington Planarä½SentryGlasâ Plus (SGP) System – the first UK application of this new system. Advantages of the SGP interlayer over the more conventional PVB interlayer include increased strength and reduced weight leading to longer panels and a reduced number of support fixings. Integral fixings with embedded flanges were used on the 142 glass panels (largest size: 3,040mm x 2,055mm) with translucent silicone joints.
• 18 sets of automatic car park entry doors (Kawneer 190) plus 90 metres of balustrading comprising 19.5mm laminated and toughened glass panels fixed to stainless steel posts with cherry oak handrails.
• Specialist glass to public toilets including 16sqm wall of 10mm kiln cast glass with water-jet cut sanitaryware apertures, 20sqm suspended ceiling of 12.6mm laminated toughened sandblasted glass, 9sqm of wall mirrors and a cylindrical janitors’ room formed by 11 curved segments of 10mm toughened heat soaked glass with silicone butt joints.