News Room

Project:	The Roundhouse, Camden
Date:	31st May 2006
Source:	Building Talk

Glass works at the Roundhouse

The Roundhouse in Camden - one of North London’s oldest and most famous music and theatre venues - opened on 1st June following a £29.7 million refurbishment.

The project, spearheaded by the Norman Trust, began in 2004 and has involved the redevelopment and restoration of the existing building and the construction of a new wing housing rehearsal and production suites. The site has been developed with a view to making the Roundhouse one of Europe’s most dynamic performance spaces and one of the world’s most exciting creative centres for young people.

Among the many original features to be restored at the site is a stunning glass dome and lantern that will allow natural light into the main performance area – the Main Space. The main contractor, Tolent Construction Ltd, awarded the £1.8m contract for this and other specialist glazing work to Suffolk based English Architectural Glazing Ltd (EAG) - a company that specialises in glazing systems, sheet metal work and bespoke fabrication.

Final touches as the last double glazed unit is manoeuvred into place on the entrance façade.

EAG Project Manager, Daniel Myers, outlined the scope of work involved: “We were contracted to design and install a new roof light, glass lantern and lay light in the Main Space and the glazing for the new atrium, which links the new wing and the existing building. All designs had to compliment the original structure to highlight rather than detract from the features that give the venue its distinct character.”

The work in the Main Space, which began on site in July 2005, involved some very precise planning to maintain the acoustic capabilities of the original structure, as Mr Myers explained: “As a music and theatre venue the acoustics are absolutely vital. The glazing we fitted in the dome had to achieve an acoustic rating of 62db, so we worked closely with our supplier to find a glass with that capability. Once we’d established which glass was fit for purpose, we carried out a series of acoustic tests to be sure that it met the necessary requirements.”

Roundhouse Chief Executive, Marcus Davey, is delighted with the result: “It was vital that all of the companies involved were sympathetic to the building’s history and to its standing as one of London’s most exciting and adaptable performance spaces. EAG went to great lengths to ensure that the materials they specified would produce the level of acoustic performance required and complement the existing architecture.”

The roof light installed is a bespoke triple glazed system mounted on a steel sub-frame, within which there is fan housing for three large extractor units. Below the roof light, EAG fitted a secondary glazed lay light. The measurements for which had to be carefully calculated to ensure that the new glass ‘halo’ fitted the circular roof both above and below it. In the glass atrium EAG fitted a Schuco FW50+ SG glazing system, mounted on a steel sub frame.

Commenting on the role the company played in the project, Pre-construction Director at EAG Edward Whipp said: “It’s been great to be involved in such a high profile redevelopment project. It gives all those involved a great deal of satisfaction to have played a part in the sympathetic restoration and development of such a historic site.”

The summit of the Roundhouse. At the very top of the shot is the exterior of the glass lantern, the glass halo lies below that (midway down) and at the bottom a further glazed semi circle linking the new wing has been installed to allow natural light to flood in to the building below.

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Glass works at the Roundhouse

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