Client:
City of Hamilton, Bermuda
Architect:
Linberg & Simmons
Project details:
Bermuda – an archipelago of 7 main islands – is a British Overseas Territory located in the North Atlantic Ocean, over 600 miles east of North Carolina on the US mainland. Since its settlement by England in 1609 Bermuda has been an important naval base and stopping-off point on trans-Atlantic maritime journeys. The 20 square miles of islands is home to over 70,000 people and has a distinctive blend of British and American culture, particularly in its capital Hamilton. Reid Street, lying one block back from Hamilton’s waterfront, is a predominantly retail destination that offers familiar UK and international brands as well as local stores, with The Phoenix Centre being one such example. Established in 1902, when it became the first business on the island with electric lights, the pharmacy was The Phoenix Centre’s core service, but it has now grown into a multi-level department store. Recent upgrades to the site include a new glass shade shelter that unifies the facades of the individual building that the Phoenix Centre occupies. Improvements also extend outside the store to include attractive new paving along the building frontage.
Local architects Linberg & Simmons sought seating and planter provision for placement along the kerbside of the new paving, to create a buffer to the traffic on Reid Street and to introduce some welcome resting points for visitors. Furnitubes’ RailRoad range provided the perfect solution for the site – offering all the features required in a single integrated range of products. Two linear assemblies were supplied – one at 14m long and the other at 10m – comprising 10 planters and 14 seating modules using the RailRoad ‘Edge’ support type, in a variety of sizes and arrangements. Given the aggressive climatic conditions in sub-tropical Bermuda (which also lies in a Hurricane Belt) and its extreme maritime location, material specifications and finishes were upgraded from standard to provide maximum corrosion resistance. All the products were shipped from the UK with full assembly instructions that allowed local contractors to successfully install the products on site.
Visit the Furnitubes International website for more information on Reid Street, Bermuda