From the smooth metalic sheen of the curved and pleated roof, down to the floor designed to take the weight of the steam train, the engineering design for this landmark building has been undertaken with the utmost care by Buro Happold.
Creating the spectacular look of the roof is an achievement in itself but many other well hidden aspects of this museum required exceptional engineering.
The architect's vision for the building interior was for it to be one column-free space. To achieve that, Buro Happold had to come up with a structural support strong enough to hold up the building and its exceptional roof. The resulting steelwork solution utilises the folded plate geometry of the roof, translating it into a system of inclined trusses. Taking support off the facades, the side walls and the structurally stiff zones where the roof changes direction, it was possible to minimise the depth of the structure, which is hidden within the building shell, to 700mm.
Some of Buro Happold recent UK cultural projects include:
- Robert Burns Birthplace Museum
- John Hope Gateway at the Royal Botanics, Edinburgh
- Briggait Redevelopment, Glasgow
- Museum of Liverpool
- Saxon Museum, Southend on Sea
- British Museum, London
Buro Happold has won Engineering Project of the Year in Scotland for the last 3 consecutive years for work across Scotland.