Kensington Roof Gardens

The multi-million pound refurbishment project saw the iconic building and its landscaped gardens restored to their former glory. Axter’s cold applied liquid waterproofing systems delivered a high quality solution to this challenging refurbishment.

Systems in use

• Starcoat® QC
• Starcoat® PMMA

Kensington Roof Gardens is one of London’s best known venues, once famous for its flamingos and celebrity guests. The Grade II listed gardens were designed by landscape architect Ralph Hancock and date back to the 1930s. The venue features one of Central London’s most famous intensive living roofs and also includes an indoor restaurant, entertainment space and elevated terracing.

Challenges

The refurbishment of Kensington Roof Gardens was technically demanding. This was due to the complexity of the waterproofing details and space restricted installation locations as well as the specific waterproofing requirements.

The refurbishment of the pond and waterways required a liquid waterproofing system that is proven to be safe for aquatic life, is UV stable and meets the aesthetic requirements. In addition, the waterproofing for the elevated terraces and walkways needed to be robust, rapid curing and appropriate for high traffic areas with a high quality, anti-slip finish.

Solutions

Axter’s Technical Sales Team was able to provide BBA approved liquid waterproofing specifications for both areas. Axter ensured the highest quality waterproofing installation in all areas.

Starcoat QC flame free single component PU resin waterproofing was used for the pond and waterways. The system cures fast in just 4-8 hours depending on the conditions and creates a tough, seamless, elastomeric membrane. This makes it ideal for complex refurbishment projects, such as Kensington Roof Gardens, where effective bridging of cracks and resistance to structural and thermal movement is essential. The robust, solvent free membrane also simplified the waterproofing of the site’s complex details and is resistant to chemicals and root penetration.

The Starcoat PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) two component waterproofing, used on the walkways and terraces, is zero fall accredited, hard wearing and can withstand significant loading and mechanical stresses. Available in a choice of colours, traffic and anti-slip finishes, it also provides an excellent solution for complex detailing and challenging application areas.

Acknowledgments

The refurbishment of the iconic Kensington Roof Gardens demonstrates the versatility of our Starcoat PU and PMMA liquid waterproofing systems. Working closely with our partners, we were able to provide a high-quality technical solution that benefits from a 25-year system guarantee.

Phil Wilcox Moore, Managing Director at Axter