The Visible and the Invisible
My 8-year-old nephew is obsessed with Marvel superheroes. The other day he was showing me the toys he had; they were all characters I barely knew. However, he insisted on telling me all their names and what superpower they had.
He then asked me if I were a superhero, which superpower would I choose, and I answered that I would like to be able to blend in with the environment, to be invisible.
It’s probably not the best superpower, but mimicry with the environment is a much-requested requirement in urban development projects and I guess it’s something I have internalised.
We recently took part in the renovation of Square Durandy in Nice, a new space covering the underground tram station and allowing direct access to the Romain-Gary library. A fully redesigned square in the heart of Nice, symbolising both heritage and modernity.
This refurbishment is part of a more ambitious project that seeks to transform Nice city centre into a garden city in the long term.
With this in mind, we were chosen to supply the new drainage system.
If you are interested in learning more about this drainage system, get in touch.
Invisible drainage with single-slot grating
Drainage systems are mainly composed of two elements: the trench-drain, which is buried in the pavement, and the grating. The latter element is the visible part.
Despite having different designs and materials in our range of gratings, when it comes to urban projects especially, the premise is clear: the main focus must be the urban design, in this case, the green areas and the decoration of the square.
For this we installed a hidden drainage system with a single-slot grating. As you can see in the images, what you see on the pavement is a fine line that goes completely unnoticed.
Okay, it’s not invisible, but if I hadn’t told you, you wouldn’t have noticed it. Because hidden drainage is a system that places the importance on the aesthetics of the surroundings.
The model used was the GRL300FOD single-slot linear drainage grating with minimal visual impact and buried installation. This L-shaped model is made of galvanised steel and is mounted on our polymer concrete trench-drains.
Our close professional relationship with distributors and installers was another key to the success of this project.
In addition to providing solutions to their specific needs, we worked as a team providing continuous advice to our client.
By the way, if my nephew were to ask me about superpowers again, my answer would be that I would like to fly. I would love to be able to fly and soar above the early-morning traffic jams on the way to the office… So, what superpower would you choose?
