Kew Gardens

Marley CitiDeck® non-slip decking was specified for The Davies Alpine glasshouse at the historical Kew Gardens. The 2006 RIBA Award winning landmark building is the first new glasshouse to be constructed at the World Heritage site for over twenty years.

The glasshouse is conceived as two back-to-back arches which create a stack effect to draw warm air out of the building. Below ground level, air is pushed into a concrete labyrinth for cooling, and then recirculated around the perimeter of the house via a series of displacement pipes.

Further environmental control is provided by a unique shading solution based on a fan-like form similar to a peacock’s tail. The building, designed by Stirling Prize winning architects Wilkinson Eyre, has an important outside feature in the form of a raised deck area, which allows visitors views across the stream.

This area has to complement the sustainability and aesthetics of the building itself and CitiDeck® was specified, a product particularly suitable for applications where high pedestrian traffic is expected and resistance to wear is important. Ian Knight of contractors AA Knight commented, “After visiting the site several times I was pleased to hear many visitors express their approval of the CitiDeck® decking. It was noted that it provided safety while still blending into the overall design of the Alpine House to provide a safe and attractive visitor platform”.