Case Studies : Cathedral Plaza

Provision of access steps up to the Piazza level in front of the existing Cathedral Bell Tower, a Visitor Centre linking into the Concourse area level and a ramp access and link bridge extending over and above the new Visitor Centre.

The Team:
Client - Neptune Developments
Architect – Falconer Chester
Quantity Surveyor -Tweeds
Main Contractor -HBG

Principal structural/civil engineering works:

Steps: Formed in pre-cast concrete sections, supported by either an arrangement of reinforced concrete ‘sleeper’ walls, or an arrangement of structural steel beams and stanchions, this supporting structure is built of mass concrete strip or pad foundations, founded on a weathered sandstone bearing strata that varies in level.

Visitor Centre: This building comprises a single storey steelwork frame, supporting a flat roof constructed in insitu concrete cast on a permanent steel formwork. The building ground floor links into the concourse area level, resulting in the building requiring to be set below ground level to the rear elevation, due to the rising external pavement levels on Mount Pleasant. The roof structure supports a landscaped garden overlooking the Concourse, processional and access steps and also provides a ramped access to a link bridge structure. The external facades of the Visitor Centre consist of either a glazed frontage to the Concourse area, a slate faced curved wall, tied to the steelwork frame to Mount Pleasant frontage, and a reinforced concrete retaining wall to the rear.

Ramp access and link bridge: The bridge provides the link between the ramped footpath to span over the lower level access from the Visitor Centre, formed between the two retaining walls between the processional steps and the Visitor Centre, and the existing level of the Piazza structure in front of the Bell Tower.

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