Debenhams Flagship Store Oxford Street – Kinetic Façade & Decorative Metalwork

Ingleton Engineering has completed the supply of perforated anodised shingles as well as decorative perforated and embossed panels for the stunning new kinetic facades installed on Debehams flagship Oxford street store in London.

Each section of kinetic façade is set in a frame of perforated metal lace panels, deploying a variety of lighting techniques to add depth to the pattern. In this way the appearance of the building can change quite dramatically depending on the time of day, night, year or even the weather conditions.

Ingletons supplied the 187,000 perforated aluminium shingles and decorative perforated panels to Dane Architectural Metalwork, working closely with architects Archial NORR throughout the prestigious project.

The opportunity to work on the Project Lions kinetic façade & associated panels came at a great time for Ingletons, as it allowed them to work for the first time with new PicPerf© software in conjunction with a new high speed punching machine in which they had recently invested, and commissioned for the start of the manufacturing phase of the project.


Working closely with Dane & Archial NORR, Ingletons developed both perforated and embossed interpretations of Archial's chosen lace pattern for use on the feature panels and soffits, using the new software which allows interpretation of photographs & images as perforated and embossed patterns. Dane produced detailed panel layouts onto which the lace perforation pattern was superimposed so that the pattern flowed seamlessly across the perforated and embossed areas.

The lace patterned perforated panels & embossed soffit panels reflect Debenhams origins & history as a draper outcome & enhance the spectacular effect of the kinetic façade.

The 187,000 perforated shingles themselves were micro-jointed in sheets of tiles which were anodised & then easily separated from the sheets by Dane for assembly to carrier rails & installation to the carrier framework. Swinging on pin and bearing assemblies on the carrier frames, the tiles are free to swing, so that the surface of the kinetic facades ripple & react to air movement around the building.

When backlit, either by direct light, or by LED lighting, perforated image panels can be used to stunning effect.

Ingletons have been working with Dane Architectural as supplier of perforated panels for more than 15 years on a number of major projects.