Zara looks to the future with Firescreen®
Zara’s new online-offline store concept combines design freedom with the protection of products and people at the highest level. Active collaboration between the costumer, Firescreen® and local partner resulted in a future-proof concept without the need for any design concessions.
The challenge
In chain store Zara’s new online-offline stores, the fire compartments of the warehouse and shop are breached by automatic picking robots, so a fire separation that would be activated in case of a fire alarm was needed.
The high fire hazard caused by the extensive electronics combined with the high density of combustible materials in the store and warehouse posed an additional challenge. This, added to the potential for lots of people to be present in the building at the same time, led to unusually strict requirements being imposed on the fire compartments.
In spite of this, the fire-resistance measures were not allowed to infringe on the design of the store, so fixed, obvious fire barriers were not an option for Zara.
The solution
By collaborating directly with Zara’s design team, Firescreen® was able to develop a solution during the design phase. Due to the very strict requirement of 120 minutes of fire resistance and the presence of combustible materials, a sprinkler system would normally be necessary. Firescreen®, however, arranged special approval for the Firescreen Temperature T4 (EI120), and was able to meet the requirements without an expensive and complex sprinkler system.
The solution means fire separators are completely hidden in the walls and ceiling, but when a fire alarm is sounded, compartments with very high fire resistance are created.
The problem was resolved by working together at an early stage with the client and local installation partner, and the store was able to open on the planned date without making any design concessions. The concept of the new online-offline store has therefore been successful, and has been further developed into a comprehensive solution for all new and to renovate Zara stores.
