NORD Architecture was appointed to design an aesthetically appealing utility building, not as a single structure but as part of a number of buildings that will make up Olympic Park. Working closely with the Olympic Delivery Authority, NORD delivered a design that has subsequently won a Royal Institute of British Architects Award for architectural excellence.
The substation features high-quality open lattice brickwork, created by Winchmore Brickwork. The project’s main contractors, Kier London, looked for a mortar system that would guarantee consistent colour and quality to complement the standard of workmanship. After liaising closely with NORD Architecture, Kier London specified CPI EuroMix mortar.
Measuring more than 80m long and 14m wide, the substation’s external architecture consists of more than 130,000 Ibstock bricks. CPI EuroMix provided 300 tonnes of its specialist dark mortar, chosen to match the Ebony Black brickwork. The company also provided 50 tonnes of natural mortar to be used for internal masonry.
With the project requiring such a large number of bricks and taking several months to complete, a consistent supply of mortar was required. To aid this, CPI provided two silo mixing stations, each capable of holding up to 35 tonnes of dry mortar. Plugged into power and water, the system despatches correctly mixed mortar at the touch of a button.