Buckingham Palace Ticket Office, London – Demountable Fabric Canopy on Glulam Masts by Michael Hopkins and Partners
General information
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Home page
https://www.architen.com/product-category/exterior/
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Location address
Green Park, London, UK
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Location country
United Kingdom
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Year of construction
1995
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Name of the client/building owner
Royal Collection
- Function of building
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Climatic zone
Temperate - cold winters and mild summers
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Primary function of the tensile structure
- Rain protection
- Space defining elements
- Sun protection
Description
Designed by Michael Hopkins and Partners for the Royal Collection, this demountable ticket office served visitors to the summer opening of Buckingham Palace. It was conceived as a lightweight, elegant pavilion that could be put up for the visitor season and taken down again, leaving the parkland setting undisturbed, so every element was designed for straightforward assembly and removal.
The roof is a 200m² woven acrylic canvas canopy, tensioned between spruce glulam masts at each end. Beneath it, a 15m-long ticket office cabin is made in two sections that are bolted together on site, and the whole is surrounded by a softwood timber deck on adjustable feet, so the pavilion sits lightly on the ground without permanent foundations.
The combination of natural timber and a crisp fabric canopy gives the building a refined, almost marquee-like character appropriate to its royal setting, and shows how a tensile membrane can provide shelter, shade and a clear identity for a seasonal public facility. Engineering was by Arup, with the fabric canopy produced and installed by Architen Landrell.
Client/building owner: Royal Collection. Architect: Michael Hopkins and Partners. Engineer: Arup. Fabric canopy: Architen Landrell.
Description of the environmental conditions
Seasonal outdoor installation in a London park, temperate climate. The woven acrylic canopy provides rain and sun protection for visitors queuing and buying tickets; the timber deck on adjustable feet avoids permanent foundations.
Material of the cover
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Cable-net/Fabric/Hybrid/Foil
Fabric
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Material Fabric/Foil
Modacrylic
Main dimensions and form
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Covered surface (m2)
200
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Total length (m)
15
Duration of use
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Temporary or permanent structure
Temporary
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Convertible or mobile
Mobile
Involved companies
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Architects
Michael Hopkins & Partners
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Engineers
Arup
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Contractors
ARCHITEN LANDRELL
