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Installing clerestory windows JLP01_08_062292
Wall Art and Photo Gifts from Historic England
Installing clerestory windows JLP01_08_062292
COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE, KENSINGTON HIGH STREET, KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA, GREATER LONDON. A worker installing window frames in the clerestory between the central and outer roof sections of the exhibition hall at the Commonwealth Institute.
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
Historic England is the public body that champions and protects England's historic places
Media ID 24320088
© Historic England Archive
1960s Construction People Urban Landscape Work Angles
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures a pivotal moment in the construction of the Commonwealth Institute, located on Kensington High Street in Greater London. The image showcases a diligent worker installing window frames in the clerestory between the central and outer roof sections of the exhibition hall. Built by Laing between October 1960 and October 1962, this iconic structure replaced the former Imperial Institute to accommodate new facilities at Imperial College. The building consisted of a four-storey administrative block and a separate two-storey block housing a cinema with an art gallery above. However, it was the exhibition hall that stole the spotlight with its groundbreaking hyperbolic paraboloid roof – Great Britain's first of its kind. Designed by James Gardner, this innovative exhibition space aimed to educate school children about each Commonwealth nation's achievements and characteristics through interactive displays. The central roof section featured a reinforced concrete shell arch cast in situ using timber formwork for added texture, while precast beams and wood wool slabs constructed the four outer "warps". Copper sheeting clad over vermiculite covered this impressive 33,700 square foot area. Preserved within A© Historic England Archive, this photograph not only documents an important architectural milestone but also serves as a testament to human ingenuity and creativity during an era marked by progress and innovation.
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