Victoria and Albert Museum Brochure

ROOFGLAZE AT THE V& A MUSEUM

Our Heritage Expertise

Roofglaze is a specialist rooflight contractor to some of the most successful and sensitive heritage regeneration projects in the UK, responsible for retrofitting glazing to improve energy efficiency.

We’re proud to be part of the process of repair and adaptation of historic buildings, making our contribution to ensure their sustainable future. With specialist knowledge and experience in dealing with valued historic buildings within the constructive conservation guidelines set by Historic England, we are the first choice of experienced Architects and Main Contractors.

The benefits of retrofitted rooflights

Our low emissivity glass rooflights help optimise a building’s environmental performance with very significant improvements to heat control, ventilation and energy use.

A replacement glazed roof transforms the quality of experience for occupants and visitors without affecting the design integrity of the original building.

Our design and installation expertise

Our glazing designs consider the building’s environment, construction, condition, services and the people who use it on a daily basis.

Detailing of glazing bars and brackets can be bespoke and adapted to preserve architectural cohesion in line with specific requirements established by conservation partners.

Installation is discreet, professional and time-sensitive, responding to the particular challenges of buildings with daily public access.

REPLACEMENT ROOFS AT THE V& A MUSEUM

As a Grade 1 listed building with millions of visitors a year, the V&A Museum Kensington, London is a site of significant heritage architecture. On a site covering over 12.5 acres with 145 galleries it’s the world’s leading museum of art and design, holding collections spanning over 5,000 years of human creativity in virtually every medium. Originally known as the South Kensington Museum, it was re-named the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1899 when Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone to the new red brick and stone facade. It now boasts some of the finest Victorian Buildings in Britain.

The museum is part way through an ambitious development programme. Over 85% of the museum’s public spaces have been transformed, improving both access and the display experience for visitors.

Working in conjunction with Facade Engineering and glass experts Eckersley O’Callaghan, Roofglaze was contracted by Coniston Construction to design and install a replacement glazed barrel vault roof for the museum’s iconic Cast Court 46B. It was to span the vast exhibition space 25 metres below and provide the galleries with a sustainable, thermallycontrolled environment appropriate for visitors and exhibits alike.

The Heritage Context

The Cast Courts, opened to the public in 1873, consist of two glazed sculpture galleries and are home to more than 60 of the finest 19th-century reproductions of Italian Renaissance monuments. For the Victorian public, these casts provided a fascinating insight into the skills of Renaissance sculptors.

Cast Court 46B houses one of the earliest and most famous casts is of Michelangelo’s David, constructed by the Florentine cast-maker Clemente Papi in the 1850s. It’s more than five metres tall and was created from hundreds of sections of plaster mould taken directly from the original.

The Problem

The existing 1970s single-glazed laminated glass roof had begun to fail. There was corrosion in the Georgian wired glass and the Courts suffered from both water ingress, heat loss and over-heating. Access to clean the existing roof was problematic and the galleries below had poor light quality as a result.

Design Solutions

Roofglaze proposed a replacement patent glazing system sympathetic to the existing glazing bar design. The Museum’s Estate team took time to explore options, considering both single and double glazing. There was engagement with local authority conservation officer and conservation partners, and engineers had to check that the building had the structural integrity to support a double-glazing design. Roofglaze was able to supply glazing samples featuring remodelled bars and brackets well in advance.

Cast Court 46B A Case Study

Specification

Over 700m² of new roof glazing was specified to replicate the existing barrel vault layout of the roof and provides the necessary insulation to maintain the optimum environment for the extraordinary exhibits below.

The five-tiered barrel vault layout has a dual-pitch lantern at the apex with vertical glazed infills.

It is constructed from an aluminium framed, thermally enhanced, self-supporting rooflight system, SpanGard, manufactured by the Lonsdale Metal Company.

Details:

• ThermGard patent glazing bars and aluminium presswork polyester powdercoated in Iron Grey (RAL 7011) for an appropriate finish with long term weatherability

• Double-glazed, hermetically sealed units with high performance 6mm 70/37 solar controlled heat soaked tested toughened glazing outer panes and 6.8mm inner panes for all sloped surfaces

• 4mm thick clear toughened soft coat Low-E glass for vertical glazing

• Box rafter construction with invisible fixings and a low-profile appearance

“We need to be confident in our sub-contractors on every project and in particular on high-profile ones like this. We know Roofglaze well, having worked together previously. That confidence, plus their knowledge of the Lonsdale system, made them the obvious partner in this case.”

Richard Ethridge Contracts Manager, Coniston

“The project has been a big success - the Cast Courts’ new roof plays a really significant part in the overall visitor experience. It has given the V&A Estate a clear forward direction. As a result of very successful delivery on roofs with the right teams on board, we have extended the renewal programme. From a total 7.5 acres of roof, we are now down to down to 2-3 roofs that need attention.”

There were significant constraints. Many of the enormous sculptures remained in situ during installation. A temporary ceiling was erected to protect the priceless collection.

Access planning with the Estate team was essential. The Museum is open 7 days a week with staff on site from 7am and corporate events until midnight most evenings. As contractors we had to be very responsive to unforeseen events, even unannounced royal visits. The project demanded teamwork and effective communication in order to meet deadlines.

Our choice of type of roof construction meant we were able to keep on-site time to a minimum, completing this complex and demanding project well within schedule.

Roofglaze has a secure manufacturer supply chain to minimise delay and ensure the speedy replacement of matching glass or components. As with any major construction project damages can occur and Roofglaze ensures panes can be swapped out immediately.

Installation

Steve Hyde, Head of Estate, Victoria & Albert Museum

Cast Court 46A

Following the transformation of Cast Court 46B, the next project for the V&A Museum was the adjacent Cast Court 46A.

Roofglaze were appointed by specialist heritage main contractor, Sykes & Son Ltd to undertake this phase.

Outcomes

The project was delivered on time and within budget. Gone is the tired gloomy glazing - and the buckets to catch the leaks! There are now safety systems for maintenance crews responsible for the regular cleaning of the glazed roof. Above all, this beautiful, iconic heritage space is flooded with natural light, allowing visitors to experience its exhibits with the awe and wonder they deserve.

Benefits

• Improved visitor experience

• Improved aesthetics

• Solar control

• Improved U values

• Weathertightness

Sustainability

Heat loss and over-heating have been minimised. All internal lighting has been replaced with LEDS, not only reducing energy costs but delivering benefits to the sustainability of the whole maintenance cycle - fewer lightbulb changes required, fewer deliveries, less packaging.

The new roof effectively supports the V&A’s operational building performance targets, showing how its buildings can be adapted to safeguard its environments, people and objects and ensure they are fit for future climate scenarios.

The Cast Courts have now been returned to their original splendour and magnificence, and we are extremely proud of our delivery and service to the V&A.

Project Credits:

Client: Victoria & Albert Museum

Sector: Culture and Heritage

Location: London

Architects: Eckersley O’Callaghan

Main Contractor: 46B Coniston Contractors / 46A Sykes & Son Ltd

Products: Lonsdale Metal Co. Ltd. SpanGard / ThermGard

The Porter Gallery

Continuing the V&A programme of renewal and revitalisation, Roofglaze has undertaken the replacement of three more gallery glazed roofs, working for the Heritage Division of Main Contractor, Quinn London.

The glazed roof of the Porter Gallery was in such dire condition it had to be protected with a giant tarpaulin. Repair rather than replacement was explored as an option, but as in other projects it was found to have come to the end of its useful life. Surrounded by full height hoarding and with the space below protected by a temporary roof, the original glazed roof was stripped and replaced. All works were completed within a tight timeframe as the museum stayed open for the duration of the project.

Project Credits:

Client: Victoria & Albert Museum

Sector: Culture and Heritage

Location: London

Main Contractor: Quinn London

Products: Lonsdale Metal Co. Ltd. SpanGard / ThermGard

The National Art Library

The National Art Library houses some of the most priceless books on the planet. Its historic and elegant reading rooms are a jewel of the V&A and home to an unrivalled collection of literature on decorative and fine arts. Its glass roof, installed in 1881, was designed to bring as much natural light as possible to the readers below. It now has a beautiful, thermally efficient glazed roof and casement windows.

Project Credits:

Client: Victoria & Albert Museum

Sector: Culture and Heritage

Location: London

Main Contractor: Quinn London

Products: Lonsdale Metal Co. Ltd. SpanGard / ThermGard

Project Credits:

Client: Victoria & Albert Museum

Sector: Culture and Heritage

Location: London

Main Contractor: Quinn London

Products: Lonsdale Metal Co. Ltd.

SpanGard / ThermGard

The Young V&A, Bethnal Green

As part of the V&A’s renovation and reimagining of the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, Roofglaze reinstated functioning rooflights to its barrel-vaulted roofs. The original roof trusses and cladding profile are now revealed and appreciated.

The new rooflights illuminate the Main Hall and its more open, exciting and immersive galleries. No longer a dark and cold place, the museum is soon to open as a refreshed free-to-access collection to inspire its young visitors.

This cast iron building was originally erected on the site of the main V&A Museum and nicknamed the ‘Brompton Boilers’. After 10 years it was dismantled, moved east to Bethnal Green, re-erected, clad in brick and opened in 1872 as the Bethnal Green Museum. Over the last 150 years the museum has consistently evolved - in its name, contents and design. It’s now restored and equipped for a sustainable future role as part of London’s unique heritage landscape.

The Young V&A Museum is scheduled to re-open to the public in summer 2023.

Image courtesy of The Victoria & Albert Museum

“We have completed several projects at the V&A including The Porter Gallery, The National Art Library and more recently the Young V&A in Bethnal Green. We have been very impressed with the approach taken by Roofglaze on these complex projects, and particularly the very positive ‘Can Do’ attitude along with outstanding level service and quality of workmanship.”

Paul Jordan, Contracts Manager, Quinn London – Heritage Division

Roofglaze

A Heritage Specialist

Roofglaze Limited have extensive experience of working on landmark Grade I and Grade II heritage projects, including world famous museums, royal palaces, and national institutions.

Selection of completed projects:

• National Museum of Wales

• Natural History Museum, London

• Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

• Manchester Jewish Museum

• Royal College of Surgeons

• Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London

• Gainsborough’s House Museum

• Greenwich Naval College

• Old Street Courthouse and Police Station

• Doncaster Corn Exchange

• St Albans Cathedral

• Sheerness Dockyard Church

• Greenwich Foot Tunnels

• Clifton Cathedral

• Nevil Holt Opera Theatre

• Houlton School

• The Exchange, Centenary Square, Birmingham

• Drill Hall, Farringdon

• West Midlands Police Museum

Selection of current projects: The new Museum of London

Replacement of 1,000m2 of patent glazing on the Smithfield General Market which has lain derelict for over 30 years and will re-open as The London Museum.

Main Contractor:

PAYE Stonework and Restoration

Architects: Stanton Williams / Julian Harrap Architects

The reimagination of Paisley Museum

Replacement of 540m2 of traditional patent glazing with high performance bespoke rooflights featuring external perforated shading panels.

Main Contractor: Kier Architects: AL_A

Grainger Market, Newcastle

Replacement of 1,250m2 of traditional patent glazing on the city’s oldest and Grade I listed market building.

Main Contractor: ESH

Architects: Newcastle City Council

Annexe Building, Smithfield London

Replacement of 375m2 of patent glazing on the historic but derelict Fish Market in Smithfield which when complete will become a commercial development adjacent to the new Museum of London

Main Contractor: McLaughlin & Harvey Construction

Architects: Julian Harrap Architects

Manchester Science Museum, Power Hall

Replacement of 400m2 of patent glazing on the Grade II listed Power Hall, which contains the UK’s largest collection of working steam engines.

Main Contractor: HH Smith & Sons Co Ltd

Architects: Carmody Groarke

Leading The Way

The wider museum network has benefitted from the V&A experience. Organisations with similar Victorian glazed roofs have visited the replacement roof project at different stages to understand the methods and logistics, as well as its impact and benefits.

Drill Hall, Farringdon

National Museum of Wales

Nevil Holt Opera Theatre Royal College of Surgeons

Museum of London