A requirement for the renovation of the tower was to enclose the top of the vent shaft which runs full height through the tower. A particularly challenging aspect of this element were the numerous connection points to the existing 175 year old building.
The site team set up a make-shift workshop at the top of the tower where they then spent weeks fabricating various bespoke stainless-steel components to fit perfectly into the irregular openings.
The stainless-steel fabrication work carried out at the top of the tower included templating, cutting and mitring, press-folding, drilling, welding and polishing - no two pieces were the same, all were constructed to suit the hand-built structure around them.
As a part of the Elizabeth Tower restoration, Firman Glass Projects was tasked with installing a structural glass viewing box adjacent to Big Ben, (the bell) and a large glass floor to cover the vent shaft.
The viewing box consisted of a mild steel perimeter frame system, with various full height swing doors on automated operators, full height clear glass panels, and a fully glazed roof, offering a 360-degree view of the surrounding city skyline.
The viewing box is also an enclosed viewing platform at the top of the newly installed passenger lift. The design of the viewing box provides an elegant contrast to the historically robust fabric of the tower.
Project Title
ELIZABETH TOWER, BIG BEN
Location
WESTMINSTER, LONDON
