SS Great Britain wins The Crown Estate Conservation Award

Date:

06 October 2007

Press office contact:

Lorna Gemmell
T: +44 (0)207 307 3761
E: lorna.gemmell@inst.riba.org

The SS Great Britain and Historic Dockyard in Bristol by Alec French Architects has won The Crown Estate Conservation Award. The prize is awarded to the best work of conservation which demonstrates successful restoration or adaptation of an architecturally significant building. The announcement was made on Saturday 6 October at a special awards ceremony for theRIBA Stirling Prize in association with The Architects' Journal at the Roundhouse in London.

SS Great Britain, the world's first iron-hull ship was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and launched in 1843. Investigations established that its decay could be controlled if the humidity level could be kept below 20%, and that the problem only existed below the waterline. A glass deck was built at the original water level, which coincides with the top of the walls of the listed dry dock in which the ship was originally built, and in which she now sits.

In an inspired move, this glass deck has been flooded with a few inches of sea water from the adjacent River Severn, so that when you approach, the ship appears to float once more, but when seen up-close, the pattern of the glass can clearly be seen. The view from below the deck has a beautiful quality of light, thrown onto the rusty ironwork of the hull, and the elegant steelwork of the new roof, by sunlight filtered through the surface of the moving water.

The Crown Estate Conservation Award judges – Richard Griffiths, conservation architect; Paul Velluet, conservation architect HOK; Roger Bright, Chief Executive of The Crown Estate; and Tony Chapman, RIBA Head of Awards said:

"The project demonstrates that heritage attractions can avoid the pitfalls so often associated with the opening of historic buildings and sites to the public if carried out with sufficient imagination and flair. The restoration of the ship and her return to the dry-dock in which she was built make a unique exhibition, but so magical and beguiling are the water-roof and the dock/hull space below that whole experience produces a delightful moment of architecture as metaphor that is legible and accessible to all."

Roger Bright, Chief Executive of The Crown Estate said today:

"I am delighted that the SS Great Britain has won The Crown Estate Conservation Award this year for their innovative approach to regenerating and conserving the ship and dry dock in which she was built. The transformation using ground-breaking conservation technology and stunning glass decking to enable visitors to walk around the entire hull of the ship as if underwater have created a remarkable visitor experience.

"This award is a true testament to the knowledge, skill and dedication of all involved in this project."

The project saw off strong competition from four other buildings on the shortlist:

Dresden Station, Germany by Foster + Partners
The Roundhouse, London by John McAslan + Partners
Stowe House Restoration, Stowe by Purcell Miller Tritton
William Kent House, The Ritz Hotel, London by Ettwein Bridges Architects

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Notes to editors

1. For images and further information please contact Lorna Gemmell in the RIBA Press Office on 020 7307 3761 or lorna.gemmell@inst.riba.org|

2. Full citation follows:

SS Great Britain and Historic Dockyard, Bristol

Architect: Alec French Architects

Client: SS Great Britain Trust

Structural engineer: Fenton Holloway; Arup

Services engineer: WSP Group

Project manager: Capita Symonds

Contractor: Bluestone

Contract Value: £11,500,000

Date of completion: May 2005

This project relies on a powerful conceit: that of approaching the historic ship in its original listed dry dock, then walking down a stair that leads you through the meniscus of the water, into a dehumidified chamber that prevents corrosion of the ship's iron hull.

The iron plates and timber cladding of the hull were decaying through a combination of atmospheric humidity and the salts absorbed by the timber cladding. Technical investigations established that the decay could be arrested if the humidity level could be kept below 20%, and that the problem only existed below the original water level. It was therefore decided to provide a glass deck at the original water level, which also happens to coincide with the top of the walls of the listed dry dock in which the ship was originally built, and in which she now sits. In an inspired move, this glass deck has been filled with a few inches of sea water from the adjacent River Severn, so that when seen on approach the ship appears to float once more, but when seen close to the pattern of the glass can be clearly read. The effect as seen from outside is intriguing and successful; however, the effect as seen from below is even more delightful, with a beautiful quality of light thrown onto the rusty ironwork of the hull and onto the elegant steelwork of the new roof by sunlight filtered through the surface of the moving water. Visitors now descend via a lift and suitably nautical stairways into the space between the hull with its untouched red rust, and the original stone walls of the dock, stained in places with green verdigris, past stainless steel ducts and nozzles blowing de-humidified air up the sides of the hull. The contours of the hull are extremely elegant, and can be fully appreciated, together with the rich textures of the cladding, during the circumambulation of the hull in this virtual sub-marine realm.

The project demonstrates that heritage attractions can avoid the pitfalls so often associated with the opening of historic buildings and sites to the public if carried out with sufficient imagination and flair. The restoration of the ship and her return to the dry-dock in which she was built make a unique exhibition, but so magical and beguiling are the water-roof and the dock/hull space below that whole experience produces a delightful moment of architecture as metaphor that is legible and accessible to all.

3. The Crown Estate is an estate valued at over £7 billion, including substantial blocks of urban property, over 120,000 hectares (300,000 acres) of agricultural land in England, Scotland and Wales, and around half the foreshore, together with the seabed out to the 12 mile territorial limit. The Crown Estate return all our revenue surplus to the Treasury for the benefit of UK taxpayers. In 2006/07, this amounted to over £200 million. As owners, managers and guardians of one of the world's most important and diverse urban, rural and marine property portfolios are underpinned by the three core values of commercialism, integrity and stewardship. www.thecrownestate.co.uk|

4. The RIBA Stirling Prize in association with The Architects' Journal is the UK's most prestigious architectural prize and is awarded annually to the architects of the building that has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year. Winners must be RIBA Members and the building may be anywhere in the European Union. The shortlists are drawn from the winners of the 2007 RIBA National and European Awards. The prize is named after the architect Sir James Stirling 1926 – 1992. The winner receives £20,000.

5. Established in 1895, The Architects' Journal has consistently been at the

forefront of architectural publishing. Its weekly news coverage, comprehensive building studies and in-depth technical and practice features make it essential reading for the profession, and its incisive commentary makes it a must-read for opinion formers. The AJ is the UK's leading independent architectural magazine, whose authoritative voice has informed generations of architects. For more information on the RIBA Awards visit the AJ website at www.ajplus.co.uk|

6. All RIBA Award winners can be seen at www.architecture.com|

7. The RIBA Awards and RIBA Stirling Prize are managed by the RIBA Trust. The RIBA Trust manages the cultural assets of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), including the internationally recognised collections of the British Architectural Library. It is the UK's national architecture centre, delivering the RIBA Awards and RIBA Stirling Prize (live on Channel 4); the Royal Gold Medal; International and Honorary Fellowships; Architecture Week (with Arts Council England and the Architecture Centre Network); a full programme of lectures, exhibitions, tours and other events; and an education programme.