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Roof support strut JLP01_08_060600
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Roof support strut JLP01_08_060600
COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE, KENSINGTON HIGH STREET, KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA, GREATER LONDON. The peg-shaped roof support strut at the north corner of the Commonwealth Institute exhibition hall, partially cast with the internal steel still visible at the top.
Laing built the Commonwealth Institute between October 1960 and October 1962 to replace the former Imperial Institute that was to be demolished to make way for new facilities at Imperial College. The building consisted of a four-storey administrative block housing a library, restaurant, board room and conference hall and a separate two-storey b lock containing a cinema with an art gallery above, but the focus of the project was the exhibition hall with its hyperbolic paraboloid roof, the first of its kind constructed in Great Britain. The exhibition, designed by James Gardner, provided spaces where each of the Commonwealth nations could showcase their achievements and characteristics, primarily to school children as teaching aids to enliven history and geography lessons.
The shell arch of the central roof section was of reinforced concrete, cast in situ using timber formwork with rough sawn boards to provide a textured internal surface whilst the four outer " warps" were constructed using precast beams and wood wool slabs, blocks of shredded timber bound together in a cement paste and left visible from the interior. The entire roof was then clad in copper sheeting over a layer of vermiculite. It covers an area of 33, 700sqft, 183 feet square with the central section 93 feet square and ranges between 30ft high at its lowest and 80ft at the peaks. This photograph appeared in the October 1961 issue of Team Spirit, the Laing company newsletter
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print showcases the intricate details of the roof support strut at the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington, London. The peg-shaped strut, located at the north corner of the exhibition hall, is partially cast with visible internal steel at its top. Constructed by Laing between 1960 and 1962, the Commonwealth Institute was designed to replace the former Imperial Institute. The building consisted of a four-storey administrative block and a separate two-storey block housing a cinema and art gallery. However, it was the exhibition hall that stole the spotlight with its groundbreaking hyperbolic paraboloid roof – a first-of-its-kind structure in Great Britain. The central section of this remarkable roof was made from reinforced concrete cast on-site using timber formwork with rough sawn boards for an intriguing textured interior surface. Meanwhile, precast beams and wood wool slabs were used for constructing the outer "warps" showcasing shredded timber bound together in cement paste. Covering an impressive area of 33,700 square feet, this architectural marvel stands tall at heights ranging from 30 to 80 feet. Its copper sheet cladding over vermiculite adds both beauty and durability to this iconic structure. Published in Team Spirit's October 1961 issue (the Laing company newsletter), this photograph captures not only a moment frozen in time but also pays homage to one of London's most significant architectural achievements.
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