Commendation at the Structural Awards 2009
Rudolf Steiner House Cafe Roof has won a commendation in the Small Projects Category of the Structural Awards 2009.
The refurbishment of the Rudolf Steiner House, which was built in two phases in 1924-26 and 1931-2 by the Scottish architect Montague Wheeler, represents the only example in London, and possibly the UK, of what has been called ‘German Expressionism’, and is Grade II listed.
Part of its significance is the structural engineering of a wonderful organic spiral staircase of in situ reinforced concrete and early haunched reinforced concrete portals which span over the main lecture theatre.
Generally, the structure of the main building is a cased steel frame with a brick or masonry facing skin and beam-and-claypot floors.
The architect and structural engineers employed modern techniques of the day to express the philosophical ideas of the Rudolf Steiner movement through organic curves and irregular geometry.
To the rear of the main building a series of utilitarian small scale buildings had been added, forming a small dark unused outside space containing a fire escape.
The new café extension involved the redesign of the fire escape stairs which cantilever from the main building.
The form of the timber roof structures had to be geometrically complex to follow the irregular shape of the adjacent buildings and fit around windows in the existing elevations, with dimensional tolerance designed into the connections.
The resulting form resembles a lily leaf.
The close collaboration between the architect, structural engineer and timber specialist fabricator has resulted in a beautifully detailed roof that blends perfectly with the original architecture.