Wadhurst Park, East Sussex, UK
Wadhurst Park, East Sussex, UK
Wadhurst Park in East Sussex is a grand country residence surrounded by almost 3.5 km² of country estate. A new glass roof now links the ensemble consisting of house and service buildings. Serving as conservatory and orangery at the same time, this inner courtyard – now covered – occasionally provides a venue for larger events.
seele provided the barrel-vault roof with curving hips at each end and two bays on the sides. A peripheral, buckling-resistant frame forms the lower termination of the roof. The horizontal loads acting at the base are resisted by pairs of ties. The roof is made up of hollow triangular sections, the lower side plates of which, welded together at acute angles, trace the roof construction exactly. The light twist in the diagonal bars is hardly perceptible, but necessary to provide precise, elegant joints at the nodes. Much of the structure was designed using 3D methods to ensure accurate calculation of the lengths and angles.
seele provided the barrel-vault roof with curving hips at each end and two bays on the sides. A peripheral, buckling-resistant frame forms the lower termination of the roof. The horizontal loads acting at the base are resisted by pairs of ties. The roof is made up of hollow triangular sections, the lower side plates of which, welded together at acute angles, trace the roof construction exactly. The light twist in the diagonal bars is hardly perceptible, but necessary to provide precise, elegant joints at the nodes. Much of the structure was designed using 3D methods to ensure accurate calculation of the lengths and angles.
Hot water flows through all hollow sections. That ensures a pleasant atmosphere below the glass roof, especially during events. The work on site consisted of taking delivery of prefabricated elements, welding them together and checking for weather-tightness. Internal baffle plates regulate the direction, volume and velocity of the water flow. Diagonal fins fix the panes of glass to the roof structure and at the same time their modern architectural language is a reference to the historical mouldings and decoration on the existing building.
