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            • Imperial War Museum, London
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            Imperial War Museum, London

            Commemorating the centenary of the First World War, a brand new exhibition space has opened at the Imperial War Museum in London. A £40m renovation has seen the Southwark museum transformed into an interactive tribute. It tells the overall narrative at the time through the eyes of the people living in the then British Empire.

            The project was awarded the AIS-FDPC Silver Award in the Judges Award category this year.

            Design

            Inspired by the Union Jack, the atrium suspends a visually arresting triangular-panelled canopy, forming the centrepiece for the surrounding galleries. The brief was to create a three dimensional, acoustically absorptive soffit feature using a naturally reflective material. Foster + Partners contacted SAS International’s project management division in the early stages of design as they had the capability to design, manufacture and install to the project demands. The overall solution was engineered to aesthetic aspirations and original design intent while meeting the budgetary requirements of the client.

            Material Choice

            Mill finish aluminium was selected as it provided the level of reflectivity to achieve the required aesthetic. Although anodising the extremely large aluminium triangular panels was cost-prohibitive, Foster + Partners preferred the natural appearance of mill finish aluminium. To protect this delicate finish and prevent future oxidisation, SAS selected a polyester powder coat in clear gloss lacquer.  This maintained the desired aesthetic of the original base material while remaining on budget.

            Acoustic Control

            Poor acoustics within such a space can reduce a guest’s enjoyment of the exhibits. To effectively control unwanted and drifting noise, each perforated panel has an integrated acoustic backing.

            Installation Considerations

            The non-coplanar panels are suspended from the ceiling in a three dimensional layout with concealed fixings. A 3D model was created and combined with the structural steelwork model to provide fully coordinated details and dimensional data for 3D setting out on site.

            Various iconic objects are suspended from the steel frame behind the panels to correspond with the gallery displays on each of the four levels of the atrium. The fixing lugs were carefully coordinated, with factory punched openings allowing the exhibit’s suspension cables to pass neatly and discreetly through the soffit line.

            Lighting

            Lighting is suspended from the steel frame behind and drops through the panels. No direct light hits the panels. The effect is a neutral but architecturally interesting backdrop that emphasises the exhibits below.

            Read more
            • Sector:

              Leisure

            • Client:

              Imperial War Museum

            • Architect:

              Foster + Partners

            • Main contractor:

              Lend Lease

            • Sub-contractor:

              SAS Project Management

            • Completion year:

              2014

            • System type:

              Service Bulkheads, Bespoke Metal Ceilings

            • Area:

              330m²

            • Region:

              United Kingdom

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            Bespoke Ceilings

            SAS bespoke ceilings encompass a wide range of design options and include radial, vaulted and waveform designs. The specification of bespoke systems is often demanded by complex application detail, architectural design consistency or simple design flair.

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            Service Bulkheads

            Bulkheads are a common means of visually and physically linking one level of an interior to another. This traversing between levels is usually from a ceiling to a floor-plate immediately above.

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