In its largest
building project in over 100 years, the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Exhibition
Road Quarter achieves architectural cohesion between museum and street with the
help of Alumasc Water Management Solutions (AWMS) and Alumasc Roofing Systems.
In a project that
demonstrates expertise across the full building envelope, Alumasc Wade HCE
drainage channels and access covers were installed to provide almost invisible
yet functional water management, and a bespoke hybrid roofing system installed
using Hydrotech and Derbigum waterproof roofing.
Designed by Stirling
Prize-winning Architect Amanda Levete and her practice AL_A, the landmark
project aimed to “break down the barrier” between the great cultural artery of
Exhibition Road and home of over 5000 years’ worth of cultural history.
The entire project
encompassed the construction of the Sainsbury Gallery, a flexible 1100m2
temporary exhibition space, the Blavatnik Hall, a new entrance into the V&A
from Exhibition Road, the Aston Webb Screen, an updated colonnade formed from
the original 1909 structure, and the Sackler Courtyard, a key area that strives
for unity between the street, the museum, the historical and the modern.
The Sackler
Courtyard challenged Alumasc WMS to devise a water management solution that
would be able to accommodate the shape of the building design, discreetly
hugging the curved exterior wall of the café, and provide access covers that
would seamlessly blend with the 11,000 unique, parallelogram shaped porcelain
floor tiles. Providing an invisible yet practical solution, bespoke access
covers mimicking this shape were designed upon AL_A’s specification.
The curved exterior
wall of the Sackler Courtyard Café posed a further challenge that was overcome
by the custom design of a curved Wade HCE stainless steel drainage channel.
Nestled flush against the wall, this provides a discreet direct water flow into
a below surface linear drainage system, designed to accommodate large water
volumes and withstand heavy foot traffic above. Ideally suited for draining
large areas finished with block paving, this channel can be designed to
accommodate a range of paving thicknesses (min. 15mm) and flow rate
requirements.
David Adams, Area
Specification Manager- Building Drainage at Alumasc WMS commented: “The V&A
building in itself is considered one of the London cultural quarter’s most
iconic buildings. This was why it was so important to find a water management
solution for the new and updated areas of the site that wouldn’t interfere with
or detract from its magnificence.
“We were able to
offer AL_A high quality, practical solutions to their design specifications
that would respect the history of the V&A by remaining as inconspicuous as
possible and that would, in this way, help fulfil the project aim of achieving
seamless cohesion between the museum and the adjacent public space.”
