Panels & Furniture Asia March/April 2018

54 STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS
An engineering marvel made of American white oak features
in the redevelopment of the Warner Stand at Lord’s Cricket
Ground in London. The primary structure of the roof is
formed from 11 cantilever glue-laminated (glulam) beams, up to
23 metres long, the first time the species has been employed in
this format on this scale.
Architects Populous wanted to create a building that had the
impression of lightness—hence the canopy comprising fabric
rather than glass, and the 13-metre cantilevered section that
makes it seem to float over the crowd.
“We wanted to capture cricket’s summer character and the
ambience of a local club marquee,” said Philip Johnson, senior
principal and project lead at Populous.
The new four-storey stand has 2,656 seats with improved
sightlines, a new match control suite and better facilities.
Sustainability is also at the forefront of the design thinking, with
solar thermal and photovoltaic roof panels to generate power. It
replaces a 1950s structure and is part of an ongoing masterplan to
improve visitor experience and boost the international reputation
of Lord’s.
March / April 2018 • Issue 2 • PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA