ABSTRACT
Designed by Heatherwick Studio, this new kinetic Glasshouse features 10 structural “Sepals” 15 m long that open and close on the Woolbeding Gardens (West Sussex, England). Bellapart participated in the geometric, structural and automation design and engineering from early stages until detailing, fabrication, erection and commissioning.
In its closed position, the Glasshouse is a 14.5 m high building with a 15 m diameter base and a maximum diameter of 19 m at the base of its ‘kinetic’ roof, at 2.8 m from the ground level. Its ten-sided façade is fully cladded with Isolating Glass Units (IGU's), while the main structure is made of tapered welded reconstituted profiles of mild steel that meet in sharp angles and complex nodes. To allow its movement, the Glasshouse relies on 10 hydraulic cylinders. When closed, a pneumatic system inflates a gasket system to achieve a weathertight building envelope.
In this paper, especial attention is given to the different challenges that faces the Glasshouse construction, such as achieving weatherthightness, the structural verification, and the fabrication, assembly and construction.
