Security doors and physical security in London

From high-rise commercial towers to embassies and critical national infrastructure, London’s threat picture is the broadest in the UK. ArxBridge supplies and installs rated security doors, windows, ballistic and blast protection across the capital, working with architects, main contractors, facilities teams and security consultants.

• LPS 1175 forced entry ratingsSR2 to SR5 doorsets
• EN 1522 classes FB2 to FB7From 9 mm to rifle rounds
• ISO 16933 EXV45-EXV10Vehicle bomb blast classes
• Impact tested to PAS 68IWA 14-1 rated barriers

Where rated protection is needed in London

The capital’s commercial stock ranges from trading floors and headquarters to government offices and diplomatic premises. Each brings its own threat picture, so the rating always follows a security risk assessment rather than the building type. Banking and finance sites, government and defence buildings and data centres tend to specify the highest ratings.

High-rise office towers need controlled entry at street level and protected plant rooms above. Service yards, loading bays and basement car parks are common attack routes, and they often need a higher rating than the front door.

Critical national infrastructure in and around the capital, including energy and communications facilities, usually specifies combined ratings: forced entry plus blast, or ballistic plus fire, in a single doorset. Utilities and energy sites are typical examples, and fire and security doors carry both classifications in one assembly.

Matching the rating to the site

Use this as a starting guide. The threat assessment sets the final rating for every opening.

Ratings are chosen from the threat assessment, not from a table. A consultant or the site security team sets the required class, and we supply doorsets, windows and barriers tested to meet it. Our LPS 1175 guide explains how the ratings work.

Heritage areas and planning

Large parts of central London are conservation areas, and many commercial buildings are listed. Replacing windows or doors on a listed building needs Listed Building Consent, and the design must suit the facade.

Rated security sash windows are made for this situation: they keep traditional sightlines while carrying an attack rating. Planning officers usually accept them where a standard modern window would be refused.

For interiors, listed status rarely restricts what can be fitted. Plant rooms, strong rooms and back-of-house doors can be upgraded to LPS 1175 without touching the historic facade.

Fire, blast and vehicle impact on London projects

Mixed-use towers combine offices, retail and homes, so fire rated steel doors sit alongside security doors on the same floor. Dual rated assemblies carry both an EI classification and an LPS 1175 rating.

Public realm schemes around stations and squares increasingly include hostile vehicle mitigation in the street furniture: bollards and planters that are tested to stop a vehicle. Transport hubs and public spaces are the usual settings.

Secure communications rooms and control rooms sometimes need electromagnetic shielding as well as physical attack resistance. RF shielded rooms are specified by attenuation in dB over a frequency range.

Venues and arenas fall under Martyn’s Law, the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. The standard tier covers premises where 200 to 799 people may be present, and the enhanced tier covers 800 or more.

Start from the risk assessment. We price from drawings, schedules and the required rating, so send the threat assessment or the rating class with your enquiry.

Frequently asked questions