2019 National Finalists
Structural Steel Design Awards
160 Old Street, London
Lightweight steel solutions have maximised the value of this mid-20th Century commercial building with additions of up to three new storeys. The team devised creative framing details for extension of the floorplates integrated with the new façade systems. The designers actively engaged with academic experts to develop details and ensure the vibration performance of new lightweight floors.
Architect
Orms
Structural Engineer
Heyne Tillett Steel
Steelwork Contractor
Bourne Steel Ltd
Main Contractor
Wates Construction
Client
Great Portland Estates plc
160 Old Street is a project which does more with less in every respect. The conversion a 1970s-built office building into a modern commercial scheme fit for the 21st Century involved the addition of 3 floors, infilling lightwells and extending all elevations to significantly increase the lettable floor area.
Using a lightweight steel composite solution to form the new upper floors, and internal zone, minimised the load increase on the existing frame and foundations.
Exposed soffits throughout create an attractive modern industrial warehouse environment. The building has been widely applauded as a thoughtful, intelligent, sustainable and efficient re-modelling of an existing site.
Aga Khan Centre, London
This self-effacing ten-storey building in the King’s Cross redevelopment is constructed to the highest quality with the greatest attention paid to fine detailing and materials. Passersby will be forgiven for remaining unaware of this store of treasures of Islamic art and literature, and the variety of internal and external spaces contained within this London centre for the Aga Khan Foundation.
Architects
Maki & Associates, Allies and Morrison
Structural Engineer
Expedition Engineering
Steelwork Contractor
Severfield
Main Contractor
BAM Construct UK Ltd
Clients
AKDN, Argent
The Aga Khan Centre is a place for education, knowledge and insight into Muslim civilisations. The structure therefore houses an unusual blend of education and office spaces, research, administrative and representational spaces, with six Islamic inspired gardens interwoven over the height of the building.
The architectural vision was for the monolithic stone-clad body of the building containing the main educational and office spaces to cantilever out over the glazed ground floor spaces that interface with the public realm. Steel was instrumental is realising this vision.
The Aga Khan Centre is a special building in use, appearance, and construction.
Project Mint at The O2
Project Mint completes the ring of tenant units surrounding The O2 Arena and was designed and installed around the steel masts and tie wires that support the tented dome structure. The project utilises a steel structure originally constructed in 2006 for a super casino, demonstrating the versatility of steelwork and minimising waste.
Architect
CallisonRTKL
Structural Engineer
BuroHappold Engineering
Steelwork Contractor
Bourne Steel Ltd
Main Contractor
ISG
Clients
AEG, Crosstree
Project Mint, so-called because of the scheme’s likeness in shape to a Polo Mint, was the construction of a premium-focused outlet village around The O2 Arena, comprising 80-plus retail units arranged either side of a central street.
Requiring over 1,800 tonnes of steel in total, a two-storey element and a single storey element are separated by a movement joint with a row of double columns. The two steel-framed retail elements are stand-alone structures deriving no stability from the original steelwork malls, roof or arena, but instead relying on new concrete lift and stair cores. Both are nominally based around 7.5m column spacings.
Ely Southern Bypass
The low-profile design of the two bridges sits comfortably within the fenland landscape. The palette of weathering steel and fair-faced concrete integrates the scheme well into its rural context. The inclusion of a public footway with the river crossing provides welcomed connectivity between the foot and cycle path network either side of the river.
Architect
Knight Architects
Structural Engineer
Tony Gee & Partners
Steelwork Contractor
Severfield
Main Contractor
VolkerFitzpatrick Ltd
Client
Cambridgeshire County Council
The new bypass removes a significant amount of traffic from the station area, allowing better access to Ely’s historic city centre, business areas and the railway station itself.
The project includes a 100m-long twospan half-through bridge over a railway and a 300m-long geometrically complex, curved twin trapezoidal box girder viaduct over the River Great Ouse. Weathering steel was used for both structures to minimize future maintenance and to blend into the rural setting.
A cantilever walkway with viewing platform on the north side of the viaduct links two footpaths providing visitors and residents of Ely with a circular route and improved social connectivity.
Kettner’s Townhouse & Soho House Greek Street
Installing a moving roof over No.1 Court involved the adaption of the 1997 building without interrupting the annual tennis Championships. This extraordinarily complex work was carried out over three seasons with minimum public awareness. Large movable steel trusses installed to very exacting tolerances over the existing building provide a roof that can shelter a match from rain within minutes.
Architect
Studio of Design & Architecture (SODA)
Structural Engineer
EngineersHRW
Main Contractor
In House Design & Build Ltd
Client
Soho Estates Ltd
A mixture of refurbishment and new-build construction, the original Soho House on Greek Street has been expanded and remodelled, while simultaneously revitalising the iconic Kettner’s Restaurant with the addition of a new 33-bedroom boutique hotel above.
The scheme began with renovating an entire block of existing Georgian townhouses. The central courtyard area was cleared, and a two-storey basement created prior to the construction of a new-build, steelframed pavilion.
Access into the courtyard for steel erection was challenging, with only a single ground floor opening of 2.5m x 2.8m and road closures for crane use severely limited due to the central Soho location.