Profab Access adds five-star finish to Cardiff’s newest luxury hotel

Located next to the Principality Stadium, the Parkgate Hotel has been designed to provide a luxurious experience for rugby fans ahead of the international season, in addition to city dwellers visiting the country all year round.

Widely coined as Cardiff’s most lavish new location, the hotel includes 170 guest bedrooms and suites, a signature restaurant and bar, a traditional tea lounge and a rooftop spa overlooking the city’s skyline.

As part of the prestigious build programme, which is a unique collaboration between the Welsh Rugby Union, property developer Rightacres and The Celtic Collection, the hotel required an extensive riser door specification, with safety, high performance and aesthetic appeal all key considerations.

In total, 310 Profab Access VEGA 1500 fire-rated riser doors were specified for installation by Hazelwood Carpentry throughout every part of the building, including communal areas and the hotel’s vast range of luxury guest rooms and suites.

The VEGA 1500 Series riser doors offer the highest standards of fire safety, extensively tested by Efectis in France and Ireland to provide a bi-directional fire-tested product that’s available in both single and double door configurations. This means the riser door sets are fire-tested from both sides to 60 minutes, affording specifiers, contractors and hotel guests confidence that these critical fire integrity products offer the highest standards of protection and the most up-to-date evidence of fire safety performance.

The range also features slimline and neat construction, while this proven technology ensures permanent and safe access to M&E services housed within the riser core. This provides first-class functionality and safety, without compromising the overall interior concept.

The steel riser doors also helped to streamline the installation process, as the quick release pivot hinge and lightweight assembly enables easy handling, allowing Hazelwood Carpentry to complete the job quickly and optimise overall project efficiencies.

Fire integrity

Jamie Homer, senior site supervisor at Hazelwood Carpentry, explained: “As a remarkably impressive build designed to bring a new age of modern luxury to Cardiff’s historic setting, it was important we used the most innovative and highest quality products for this project. From the start, it was clear that there was no challenger to Profab Access and the company’s unrivalled capabilities when it comes to high performance, quality fire-rated riser doors.”

Homer continued: “The Profab Access team recommended the VEGA 1500 Series, which proved a fantastic choice as the product was incredibly easy to install and offers a superb finish, while also ensuring the highest standards of fire integrity. UK manufacture ensured quick lead times, which was essential in keeping the project on track for its scheduled opening.”

In the event of a fire, the VEGA 1500 Series riser door sets will maintain the frame and integrity for up to 60 minutes, preventing the spread of fire throughout the property for this period of time.

The riser doors are acoustic-rated to 31 dB, smoke-sealed and airtight to Part L of the Building Regulations, while also featuring intumescent smoke seals that enable occupants to safely exit the building.

The use of bi-directionally fire-tested VEGA 1500 Series riser doors means that the new development is actively future-proofed as the comprehensive testing certification provides a complete and transparent audit trail of due diligence that evidences the products are not only fit for purpose, but also meet the Duty of Care required to ensure legal compliance.

First-class performance

Marcus Parnham, commercial director at Profab Access, told Fire Safety Matters: “At a time when the hospitality sector has been subject to so much disruption, the Parkgate Hotel will play a key role in attracting rugby fans during the peak international season and revitalising the city’s appeal to visitors looking for the ultimate luxury stay.”

Parnham went on to state: “The pedigree of our VEGA 1500 Series product fits the brief perfectly. Combining functionality and visual appeal, the specification has enabled great performance without comprising aesthetics. More importantly, the specification of our bi-directionally fire-tested line ensures the building features the highest levels of riser shaft fire protection currently available on the UK and Irish markets.”

Profab Access’ diverse portfolio of riser doors and access panels is supported by a wide range of BIM Level 2 and CAD files to aid the specification process and streamline the initial design stages.

Manufactured at Profab Access’ Atherstone headquarters in accordance with ISO 9001, the 1500 Series riser doors can be specified and installed in a range of configurations to meet each project’s specific measurements and requirements.

*For further information on Profab Access and its range of access panels visit https://www.profabaccess.com