Ashfab Features To Attract New Customers For IKEA


IKEA, widely renowned for its high quality but cost effective approach to design, has applied the same philosophy in the construction of the company's first ever store in Wales, with external envelope specialists Ash & Lacy selected to provide a striking finish to the Cardiff superstore.

The store in Ferry Road, Grangetown, consist of 26,000 square metres of floor space and was completed in just 38 weeks - one of the fastest built IKEA stores in the UK. Particular emphasis was placed on the design to accommodate the needs of the Welsh community. The trademark blue and yellow is apparent throughout, while special decorative pieces supplied by Ash & Lacy, add to the stunning visual impact of the building.

Amongst the most spectacular features provided by Ash & Lacy from their Ashfab architectural fabrication range are the aluminium aerofoil bullnoses - the largest ever made by Ash & Lacy, designed to harmonise with the extensive size of the store. The bullnoses are 2 metres in girth and 3 metres long to minimise any joints, with a powder coated finish in IKEA's corporate colours.

To maintain the consistency of the corporate image, materials were provided to Ash & Lacy so that the flashing details manufactured from plastisol coated galvanised steel could be accurately recreated in the IKEA blue and yellow. The majority of the flashings and fabrication components for the roof, wall cladding and the stairs of the IKEA store were supplied by Ash & Lacy, who utilised a range of Ashfab features to create a total quality environment by adding shape and depth to the building.

Stubbs Rich Architects, were responsible for the design of the store, which was procured using a construction management contract by RG Group. Their design concept was passed onto the roofing contractors, Topek (Bur) Ltd to source the systems and Ash & Lacy were selected as the specialist supplier of the all important flashings and fabrications package.

John McWilliams, Manager at Topek Ltd comments: “The aerofoil bullnoses are used for aesthetic purposes, but they also help to enhance the structure of the building as they were placed vertically rather than horizontally. We have worked with Ash & Lacy for a number of years, and have employed their fabrications on numerous projects. They offer a good level of service with competitive product rates. Though the construction work presented many challenges due to space restrictions, the clients were very pleased with the overall look.”