Wembley Park is an 34-hectare development in north-west London that has seen an £2.8bn investment, creating an award-winning 365-day neighbourhood with 8,400 homes. For the latest stage of the development at South West Lands SW01, 02 + 07, Sapphire streamlined the balcony design by ensuring balcony metalwork matched other building elements, delivering a unified look across balustrades, railings, and façades.
Aspired to a distinctive façade
Housebuilder Hill Partnerships and architect Haworth Tompkins aspired to create a distinctive façade, inspired by the 1970s residential buildings of the old Wembley Park. Sapphire designed balconies that delivered on their requirement to create ‘animation and expression’ to the corners of the building through the use of full-width balconies. Sapphire’s design created a unified appearance across 156 homes, inspired by the 1970s residential design aesthetic.
Consistency across external metalwork
One of the unique challenges on Arc at Wembley was maintaining consistency across all external metalwork. From balustrades and terrace railings to podium-level details, Sapphire’s design met the challenge of the balcony metalwork matching the brickwork of the façade and other building elements, delivering a unified look across balustrades, railings, and façades. Balcony fascia panels created a ‘brick-like’ look to ensure a seamless match in design and finish. The result is a visually unified building exterior where no element feels out of place – a hallmark of successful urban design.
Compliance with safety standards
Working closely alongside Hill Partnerships and Haworth Tompkins, our design team incorporated internal panels into the fascia design to meet NHBC constraints on climbability, all while maintaining its visual appeal. “Matching balcony metalwork with the façade isn’t just an aesthetic choice — it’s a way to elevate the entire look and feel of a building,” a Sapphire spokesperson explained. “It’s about detail, quality, and consistency — all things that help set Arc at Wembley apart.”
“My experience with Sapphire? It’s been wonderful working with you – you people are a dream! The logistics team especially have been amazing,” Nana Aboagye, Senior Site Manager, Hill Partnerships
To learn more about matching metalwork, visit the Sapphire Balconies website.
