St Edmundsbury Cathedral: Tower Ceiling
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The timber ceiling comprises 10 prefabricated components, two fans in each corner and a central circle in two sections
Harry Freeland (website) Download Original
Detailed design of a vaulted ceiling installed in the tower of St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Taking over from The Gothic Design Partnership, the original designers of the tower, the challenge for Freeland Rees Roberts Architects was to build a timber fan vaulted ceiling 30 metres up inside the tower with no access – even to check dimensions – and with regular worship continuing.
A sophisticated computer programme was used to model the double curved ribs and panels and this was sent directly to the joiners' cutting machines. The oak was painted and gilded to provide a spectacle from the floor below.
Data
- Begun: Jan 2009
- Completed: Jan 2010
- Floor area: 64m2
- Sector: Religious
- Procurement: JCT Internediate Coontract, 2005 (TMJ Interiors' design and installation of European oak ceiling in tower: design and build)
- Address: St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Abbey House, 30 Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1LS, United Kingdom
Professional Team 
- Architect: Freeland Rees Roberts Architects
- Project architect: Henry Freeland
- Client: St Edmundsbury Cathedral
- Design architect: Gothic Design Practice
- Structural engineer: The Morton Partnership
- Project manager: Horry Parsons
- Cost consultant: Gleeds
- Main contractor: FA Valiant and Son
- Geomatics surveyors: ASC (Surveys)
- Planning supervisor: CDM Contract Services
Suppliers
- Gold leaf: Cornelissen & Son
- Vault timber supplier: James Latham
- Bespoke lead-based paint: Craig & Rose