Partner Article

South West firms engineer O2 roof attaction

Two South West firms, Base Structures and Buro Happold, are working with ISG to complete a challenging new visitor attraction at the O2 in London.

The ‘Up at The O2’ experience, originally conceptualised by architect Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners with engineers Buro Happold, is a tensile cable and fabric walkway that will take visitors over the roof.

A fabric walkway, built by Base Structures, and designed by Buro Happold with bblur Architects, suspends above the existing fabric structure to its apex.

At the O2’s apex, 53m above ground level, there is a 12m diameter viewing platform with a panorama plate to direct climbers to key London landmarks.

Climbers will be provided with ‘roof suits’ and harnesses at a pre-tour induction, enabling them to be attached directly to the cable as they make their way to the top.

Mark Smith, head of projects at Base Structures, said: “This has been a highly demanding project – we’ve got extremely tight deadlines; the design is one of a kind; and the construction has presented all sorts of logistical and technical challenges.

“But these kinds of projects are what we do best and we’re working with some great partners.”

Matthew Birchall, director for structures at Buro Happold, said: “As the original consulting engineers and co-designers for The O2 arena we were delighted to be invited to design this latest addition to the London skyline.

“The roof walk is a combination of architecture, engineering and extreme visitor experience, and represents the only installation of its kind anywhere in the world.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .