Specialist Glass Installations at Chessington World of Adventures – Animal Enclosures, Hotel Link Bridge & High-Level Commercial Glazing

Specialist Glass Installations at Chessington World of Adventures

Animal Enclosures, Hotel Link Bridge & High-Level Commercial Glazing

Hamilton Glass Products has delivered extensive specialist glazing works across Chessington World of Adventures, providing technically demanding glass installations to animal enclosures, hotel buildings and high-level architectural features throughout the resort.

This project represents a long-term relationship with a major leisure destination, requiring advanced glazing expertise, structural engineering input, complex access planning and close collaboration with the Chessington estates team, animal keepers and multiple specialist contractors on site.

Structural Glazing for Live Animal Environments

Many of the viewing panels installed across the resort required full structural assessment and engineering calculations. These included hydrostatic water load calculations for waterfall viewing areas, impact resistance for large mammals, and deflection control to ensure long-term performance and safety.

Glass specifications varied by enclosure and location, with combinations of:

• Triple laminated safety glass

• Quadruple laminated structural glass

• Toughened laminated panels

• Heat-strengthened and annealed glass combinations

• Specialist interlayers for impact and containment performance

Each panel was engineered to balance safety, durability and optical clarity, ensuring visitors benefit from clear, uninterrupted views while maintaining strict animal welfare and public safety standards.

Animal Enclosure Viewing Glass – Designed Around Welfare

Hamilton Glass Products has supplied and installed specialist glazing to a range of animal habitats, including:

• Penguin enclosure viewing panels

• Sea lion enclosure glazing

• Lion enclosure safety glass

• Tiger enclosure laminated viewing panels

• Gorilla enclosure structural glazing

• Waterfall and aquatic viewing windows

Each enclosure presents unique challenges. Factors such as thermal control, visual clarity, reflection management, acoustic behaviour and animal comfort are carefully considered. The glazing is designed not only to protect the public but to contribute positively to animal welfare and behavioural wellbeing.

Hotel Link Bridge Glazing – Architectural & Structural Integration

A key architectural feature at the resort is the glazed link bridge connecting hotel buildings. This installation required precision-engineered laminated safety glass, solar control units to manage heat gain, and carefully coordinated high-level access.

The glazing system provides a light-filled connection between buildings while maintaining safety, durability and long-term performance in a busy commercial environment.

High-Level Hotel Façade & Window Replacements

Hamilton Glass Products also undertook extensive high-rise glazing works to the Chessington hotel buildings. This included:

• Replacement of large double glazed units

• Installation of solar control glass

• Argon-filled energy-efficient safety units

• Improved thermal and acoustic performance

• Compliance upgrades to modern safety standards

These works contribute directly to improved guest comfort, reduced solar gain, and enhanced energy efficiency across the hotel frontage.

Specialist Access, Lifting & Site Safety

Due to the size and weight of many of the glass panels, installations required specialist access and lifting equipment including:

• Robotic glazing machinery

• Vacuum lifting equipment

• Mobile cranes for oversized structural panels

• MEWP access for high-level works

All works were undertaken with full PPE, high-visibility controls, safety signage and segregation of public areas. Hamilton Glass Products operates under Alcumus SafeContractor accreditation and delivered all works in accordance with approved risk assessments and method statements.

Working in Partnership with Chessington Teams

All glazing works were delivered in close coordination with:

• Chessington World of Adventures estates and operations teams

• Zoo keepers and animal welfare specialists

• Structural engineers

• Steel fabricators and main contractors

• Access and lifting specialists

Working within a live theme park and zoo environment requires meticulous planning, flexible programming and a strong safety culture. Our team is experienced in operating within these complex, public-facing environments.

Commercial Glazing for Major Leisure & Hospitality Clients

This project demonstrates Hamilton Glass Products’ capability to deliver complex, large-scale commercial glazing projects for major leisure and hospitality operators. From animal enclosures and architectural link bridges to hotel façade upgrades and high-level glazing, we provide fully engineered, safety-critical glazing solutions for demanding environments.

If you manage a leisure attraction, zoo, wildlife park, hotel or commercial estate and require specialist glazing expertise, our team can advise on design, specification, engineering and installation.

Contact Hamilton Glass Products to discuss your commercial glazing requirements.