Keep®safe system has been installed in all glazed façade sections and doors at NK’s department stores in Stockholm and Gothenburg. The installations have been carried out in stages to strengthen protection against smash-and-grab attacks while preserving the character and historic appearance of both buildings.
Our customer, Hufvudstaden, needed a solution that could withstand forceful attacks on the glazed façades. The aim was to prevent intruders from gaining entry while limiting damage and disruption to the businesses inside. At the same time, the windows, doors and façades had to retain their familiar appearance.
Keep the company was asked whether we could develop a solution. We took on the challenge and built an initial prototype. Rather than relying on the strength of the glass alone, we developed a flexible fixing system that allows the glass and profiles to work together when the façade is subjected to impact loads. The fixings were integrated into the structure and are invisible once the glazed sections are installed.
The first tests produced remarkable results, and the rest is history. Since then, Keep®safe system has been installed at both NK department stores. The façades have faced repeated attempts to break in, but the protection has held. No one has managed to gain entry, and the affected businesses have largely been able to continue operating as usual immediately afterwards.
For NK, this means protection that works in practice without changing the appearance of its well-known façades. For us, it marked the beginning of an exciting journey: the development of Keep®safe system.
