project

Camellia House, Wollaton Hall – ETFE Over-Roof Protecting a Historic Cast-Iron Glasshouse

Membrane
Prev project Next project
  • Daylight through the ETFE roof into the restored Camellia House
  • Single-layer ETFE foil installed over existing cast-iron glazing for impact protection
  • ETFE over-roof protecting the historic Camellia House glasshouse, Wollaton Hall, Nottingham

General information

  • Home page
    https://www.architen.com/projects/camellia-house/
  • Location address
    Wollaton Hall, Wollaton Park, Nottingham, UK
  • Location country
    United Kingdom
  • Year of construction
    2006
  • Name of the client/building owner
    Nottingham City Council
  • Function of building
    Historical buildings & monuments
  • Degree of enclosure
    Fully enclosed structure
  • Climatic zone
    Temperate - cold winters and mild summers
  • Number of layers
    mono-layer
  • Type of application of the membrane
    covering
  • Primary function of the tensile structure
    • Daylight gains
    • Rain protection

Description

The Camellia House at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham is a Georgian glasshouse and is said to be the oldest cast-iron building in Britain. After its restoration, repeated vandalism, including bricks thrown at the glazing, put the delicate original structure at risk. Nottingham City Council needed a way to protect it without closing it, and without losing its character as a working camellia house.

The solution was a protective ETFE over-roof installed above the existing glass. ETFE was chosen for several reasons. It is shatterproof and so far safer than glass under impact, it can carry snow loads, and it transmits around 95% of daylight, so the plants still get the light they need and the building still reads as a glasshouse. Just as important for a heritage structure, the system is light enough for the original cast-iron frame to support, and the design allowed opening panels to be built into the envelope for access to clean the glazing beneath.

The historic frame's irregular geometry was difficult to capture in a digital model, so Architen Landrell used trial assembly and physical testing of components to develop the design into a working solution. The finished over-roof keeps the glasshouse weathertight and protected, removed the need for expensive CCTV and constant patrols, and sits respectfully over the Georgian structure beneath.

Client: Nottingham City Council. ETFE design, fabrication and installation: Architen Landrell.

Description of the environmental conditions

Parkland heritage site in a temperate climate. The ETFE over-roof sits above the existing historic glazing, providing weather and impact protection while maintaining high daylight transmission (around 95%) for the plants inside.

Material of the cover

  • Cable-net/Fabric/Hybrid/Foil
    Foil
  • Material Fabric/Foil
    ETFE-foil

Main dimensions and form

Duration of use

  • Temporary or permanent structure
    Permanent

Involved companies

Editor