Handling the pressure at London’s tallest residential skyscraper
For the tallest residential skyscraper in Western Europe, making sure all areas of the building have a reliable supply of water is no small task. Flow found out how Xylem rose to the challenge.
Landmark Pinnacle is a 75-storey skyscraper on the edge of London’s financial district, Canary Wharf. At 233m (764ft), the building is the tallest residential tower not only in London but in western Europe.
Comprising more than 800 apartments, amenities within the high-rise include a gym and a 24-seat private cinema. Construction was completed in 2020.
Globally, the number of skyscrapers has quadrupled over the last two decades, reflecting growing populations and the need to use urban space more efficiently. Due to the height of most modern skyscrapers, it is unlikely a utility’s mains water pressure would be sufficient to serve an entire building.
As such, most high-rises require a pressure-boosting pump system to ensure a reliable supply of water reaches all occupants and maintains a consistent pressure, particularly during peak demand. Robust pumps are also needed to circulate water through the heating and cooling systems of a high-rise building.
The solution
Xylem pumps and variable speed controllers were selected to provide all water pressure boosting, and heating and chiller water circulation, for the entire Landmark Pinnacle building. A total of 45 pumps were provided for the range of systems, housed across four plant rooms.
Seven pressure booster sets were installed to pump potable water – for taps, kitchens, bathrooms, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers – throughout the building. Each booster set is comprised of two to six Lowara e-SV multistage pumps.
The systems are housed across four plant rooms, located between the basement and floor 56. Staggering the systems upwards has ensured optimum water pressure and flow rate for each floor.
Hydrovar 5th Generation intelligent controllers, with variable speed drives, were fitted to each pump. The technology automatically adjusts pump speed to match demand, maintaining water pressure in an energy-efficient way: A motor running at 80% of its maximum speed uses 48% less energy than at full power.
Some 54 Lowara e-LNE pumps were selected for heating and chiller water circulation – 32 heating pumps and 22 chilled water pumps were required to move water through heating and air conditioning systems. The e-LNE is a high-efficiency in-line pump, optimised for variable speed control, with each pump capable of moving up to 900m³/h.
All Lowara pumps are independently certified by the Water Regulations Approval Scheme (WRAS) to demonstrate compliance with UK water fittings regulations.
Results
Since the pumping systems were commissioned in 2020, they have operated to a consistently high standard, with no reported issues or reactive callouts. Following the project’s success, Xylem was awarded the pump maintenance and service contract for the Landmark Pinnacle by Millharbour Facilities Management.
Kurt Minter, Sales Manager at Xylem, said: “We are proud to have been selected as the pump supplier for the Landmark Pinnacle. The prestige skyscraper is a high-end residential development that requires the best-in-class efficiency products.
“Flexible, reliable, scalable and energy efficient, the Lowara pumps met all requirements. We were also pleased to have been awarded the long-term maintenance contract for the pumps by Millharbour FM due to the reliability of Xylem’s after-sales support.”
David Hughes, Office Manager at Millharbour FM, added: “Xylem was selected as the best supplier considering performance, price and services support. All systems are performing well, leading to Xylem being awarded the twice-yearly pump service and maintenance contract for the building.”
