Liverpool is the European Capital of Culture 2008, a city famous for the Beatles and football, and now it has another talking point thanks to the construction of a 350 metre-long pier and terminal at its historic docks. The terminal was officially opened by HRH the Duke of Kent as the QE2 made its 40th birthday visit to the city, and is an impressive welcome for some of the world's largest cruise liners.

The £17million development owes its striking appearance to the Pilkington Planar™ frameless structural glazing system. The new facility is built on four floating concrete pontoons and features a total of 949m2 of Pilkington Planar™ glazing for the cruise liner terminal's Reception building, including internal screens, the Pilot building and a 177m long covered walkway which links the two buildings together.

Liverpool Council specified the glazing because they wanted a high performance product in keeping with the illustrious nature of the project. The Pilkington Planar™ glazing and Pilkington Suncool™ combine to provide an aesthetically pleasing feature offering excellent solar control properties with high light transmittance. Passengers are now welcomed to Liverpool Pier in style, and it's a great way to show off the city for the increased number of visitors Liverpool is expecting in 2008.

Pilkington Planar™ glazing specification

Reception and Pilot building

195 m² double glazed insulating glass units comprising of:

Toughened outer pane: 10 mm Pilkington Suncool™ 50/25 T
Airspace: 16 mm
Laminated inner pane: 13.52 mm Pilkington Optilam™ Green

Internal screens

50 m² single glazed 17.52 mm laminated glass comprising of:

Pane 1: 10 mm Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear T (toughened)
Interlayer: 1.52 mm
Pane 2: 6 mm Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear HN (heat strengthened)

Covered walkway roof

243 m² single glazed 19.52 mm laminated glass comprising of:

Pane 1: 12 mm Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear T (toughened)
Interlayer: 1.52 mm
Pane 2: 6 mm Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear HN (heat strengthened)

Covered walkway walls

333 m² Single glazed toughened Glass:

10 mm Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear T

The Pilkington Planar™ glazed screens and external façades are supported by a combination of toughened Pilkington Optifloat™ Clear THS structural glass fins and structural steelwork. Pilkington Planar™ 905-J stainless steel fittings are used throughout.