Our New City – Celebrating Our Work in Doncaster
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Our New City – Celebrating Our Work in Doncaster

From our early days in Bradford to our current location in Denaby, we’re extremely proud of our Yorkshire roots. Denaby is just a stone’s throw away from Doncaster which is set to achieve official city status on November 1st 2022 and to mark this historic milestone, we’re taking a tour of some of our favourite local projects.

From a small industrial unit, to the big city

Senior Architectural Systems has been at the forefront of the aluminium fenestration industry for the last 30 years and is now the largest privately owned fenestration systems house in the UK. Our journey started back in 1991, when Lennart Jonsson and David Senior – from whom the company gets its name – set up the business in a small industrial unit in Bradford. Over the next 30 years, Senior has gone from strength to strength, expanding our product range, investing in our manufacturing capabilities, developing our workforce and increasing our capacity to supply aluminium windows, doors and curtain walling to construction sites across the UK. In 2001, Senior relocated to larger premises in Denaby, South Yorkshire, which is where our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility is still based today.

Denaby is located some five miles outside of Doncaster which has seen significant investment over the last few years in terms of its regeneration and development. The large minister town was awarded city status as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and will officially be given city status on 1st November 2022.

The soon to be named City of Doncaster has already undergone a transformation following the allocation of £25million from the government-backed Towns Fund in early 2021. The bid was drawn up by the Doncaster Town Deal Board and inspired by the views of those who live and work in the area. As part of this, Doncaster has already benefitted from significant regeneration and Senior has been involved in a number of high-profile projects across the new city.

Danum Gallery, Library and Museum

One of the largest and most inspirational local landmarks to be created as part of ongoing regeneration of the town’s Civic and Cultural Quarter is the stunning new Danum Gallery, Library and Museum.

Designed and built by architects Bond Bryan and main contractor Willmott Dixon, the new cultural and learning hub has been created following the sensitive restoration of four existing buildings.

A key focal point of the scheme, and one that looks even more dramatic at dusk, is the restored frontage of a former Edwardian school which has been framed by Senior’s slimline SF52 aluminium curtain wall and showcased within a new steel-frame building.

The striking glazed façade, which was fabricated and installed by Senior’s supply chain partner Chemplas Ltd, also features our robust aluminium commercial doors.

As well as accentuating the architectural appeal of the former Doncaster High School for Girls, the scheme has been designed to provide a light, airy and welcoming space for the local community to explore some of the town’s heritage and previously unseen exhibits.

Savoy Cinema Complex

Another significant project in the Cultural and Civic Quarter which Senior has supplied the fenestration package for is a new six-screen Savoy cinema and restaurant complex. The scheme is located within the town’s Sir Nigel Gresley Square and next door to Cast, Doncaster’s new performance arts theatre.

The building has been designed by Harris Partnership and delivered by main contractor Lindum and features a range of Senior’s aluminium fenestration systems, which have all been fabricated and installed by another South Yorkshire company, Rotherham based Alusec.

The eye-catching frontage of the new cinema complex has been created using Senior’s slimline SF52 aluminium curtain wall system, integrated with the robust SPW501 aluminium commercial doors at the main entrance.

Hilton Hotel, Doncaster Racecourse

Several of Senior’s aluminium fenestration products can also be found at the Hilton Garden Inn hotel located at Doncaster’s famous racecourse.

Designed by KKA Architecture, the hotel opened back in 2018. Located overlooking Doncaster’s iconic racecourse, home of the St Leger Stakes which is the UK’s oldest horse race dating back to 1776, the new Hilton Garden Inn hotel has been designed to offer luxury accommodation and exceptional views of the surrounding scenery. The extensive use of Senior’s slim profile SF52 aluminium curtain wall system alongside the use of its SPW600 aluminium window inserts, helps to create a bright and welcoming interior and provides various vantage points from which to watch the sporting action. Senior’s high performance SPW501 aluminium doors have been installed to provide access to private balconies which overlook the racecourse, with automatic SD aluminium commercial doors providing safe and secure access to the main entrance and reception areas.

Senior worked closely with specialist contractor Danum, yet another South Yorkshire based company, to deliver the project for main contractor Galliford Try.

More local landmarks…

From the historic Wool Market that has been given a new lease of life as a modern retail destination to the MyPlace community facility in Denaby Main, and various educational contracts including the Outwood Academy Danum and Campsmount Academy, Senior’s product can be spotted on various buildings across Doncaster and the surrounding areas. Our Ali VU slimline aluminium windows also feature on the recent extension at Hall Cross Academy’s lower school site in the Doncaster suburb of Bessacarr. Here Senior worked alongside architects CCO Building Consultancy, main contractor TJM Projects Ltd and fabricator partner DPS Facades.

Here at Senior, we’re proud of our South Yorkshire heritage and our close links with Doncaster – we’re excited to see what the future holds for the region’s newest city!

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