Canopy at Runnymede

Runnymede is considered the birthplace of modern democracy and this open landscape beside the Thames was witness to King John's historic sealing of the Magna Carta over 800 years ago. As well as a monument to the legacy of the Magna Carta, the site has memorials to John F. Kennedy and the Commonwealth Air Forces, and a series of art installations by Hew Locke, Mark Wallinger and Sara Holmes. The canopy was installed to provide a multi-purpose external space for visitors, volunteers, community groups and staff and to provide shade during the summer. It forms part of a wider National Trust and National Lottery Heritage Fund project called 'Runnymede Explored', to improve the visitor experience and access at this historical and symbolically significant site, which has been a gathering space for centuries. A specialist fabricator and installer was commissioned to produce detailed designs including loading calculations using standard components with a bespoke double curvature roof profile. The site is in a flood risk area which influenced the material choices, which are also specified to match the colours of Lutyens buildings and also be low maintenance.