THE ARUP JOURNAL A UIP Vol. 24 No.4 Winter 1989/90 Contents Published by Ove Arup Partnership THEARUP 13 Fitzroy Street, London W1 P 680 Editor: David J. Brown Art Editor: Desmond Wyeth FCSD JOURNAL Deputy Editor: Caroline Lucas Whiteleys of Bayswater, 2 by Ken Hatter, Philip Jordan and Alan Bentley The management of the 11 Zimbabwe CSC capital development programme, by Simon Murray The State of the Art, 17 by Poul Beckmann Cimsteel, 20 by Malcolm Shute Awards and commendations 1989 22 Front cover: Atrium roof, Whiteleys of Bayswater (Photo: Barry Shapcott) Back cover: New River Wye bridge for Chepstow Inner Relief Road (Photo: Harry Sowden) Four years later he returned to London with a rather contradictory reputation as both just £10 in his pocket, determined to learn all tyrant and benefactor; on the one hand he he could about retailing. By 1875, he had was not averse to sacking an employee for acquired 18 shops in Westbourne Grove. the smallest misdemeanour, but on the Operating under a slogan that simply read other, he left over £1 m in his will to provide 'The Universal Provider', this remarkable homes for the destitute aged. man claimed that he could provide anything Alongside the daily running of his business from a pin to an elephant - a claim that was which, among other things, included pro­ put to the test by a doubting clergyman who viding 5000 horses for cavalry manoeuvres, at 4 p.m. on the same day of his order was decorating Buckingham Palace, and pro­ Architect: the recipient of a large elephant at his viding two miles of seating for the opening Bulldlng Design Partnership stables. of a tunnel under the River Thames, Whiteley By 1900 Whiteley had a staff of 6000 working commissioned the building of the world's at his stores and factories, and had acquired largest department store. Designed by the Ken Hatter architect John Belcher (1841-1913), this spectacular construction was opened by the Introduction Lord Mayor of London in 1912. The original Whiteleys building was con­ Unfortunately William Whiteley was never to structed at the beginning of this century in see the completion of his store, as on 24 London 's fashionable Bayswater. It became January 1907 he had been shot dead in his famous as the world 's largest department office by a man claiming to be his illegitimate store, but after the war went into decline, to­ son. Whiteley's creation continued to oper­ gether with the surrounding area. In line with ate as a flourishing store, and in 1925 the current trends it has now been refurbished facade to the older northern buildings was and partially rebuilt to form a new shopping rebuilt by Curtis Green in the style of the complex. The rejuvenation of this building Belcher building to complete the present has had a considerable effect upon the loca­ imposing Queensway frontage. lity, wh ich is benefiting from an influx of in­ vestment and once more coming into vogue. After being owned by a succession of com­ panies (and reputedly designated by Hitler to Hlstorlcal background be his British headquarters had the German In 1851 a young Yorkshire man of 20 visited invasion been successful), Whiteleys ex­ the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park and was perienced a less-than-prosperous period, so inspired to create the world's most lavish that when in 1981 Hanson Trust acquired the department store. 1. William Whiteley building from United Draperies Stores, the That man was William Whiteley. The Universal Provider. then owners, they decided to close it. 2 2. Whiteleys at the turn of the century. 3. Construction of Belcher building (Photos: BDP archives) The new complex Scale: metres Aedan Place O 10 20 30 40m The Whiteleys Partnership was formed from a consortium of developers, including Arling­ ton Property Services Ltd. , London Metro­ Two storeys politan Estates Ltd ., and Dartnorth Ltd. , all <I) (new construction) operating under a chief executive, Jonathan ..c ~ Joseph of Bellhouse Joseph. u"' (!)"' a:"' The Partnership purchased the site in 1986 Four storeys (New bay) c and assembled a professional team, which * "' ~"' !:! a:""' included Building Design Partnership as ar­ 0 chitects and Ove Arup & Partners as struc­ Cl. Four/five storeys Four storeys tural and services engineers. (Belcher building) (new construction) l In order to obtain planning permission for the Grade 2 listed building, BDP had to come up with a proposal acceptable to English Heri­ ~-) tage, which insisted on the retention of much Oueensway Curtis Green fa9ade of the Edwardian building and its detailing. 4. Key plan. 030 031 032 QUEENS WW 5. Ground floor plan . 6. Model interior. (Photo : BDP) 7. Cross section. Planning permission was finally granted on have water features. Three of these atria rise cafes and food bars. Also on this floor is the 7 November 1986 with demolition beginning through the full four-storey height of the front entrance to an eight-screen cinema and level that same day. half of the building, with the middle of the access to the customer car park. Over £80 OOO and six months were spent three extended into the fifth storey which It had been intended that the third floor would constructing a 1/50 scale model in four crowns the front central section. Lifts and be for retail-related activities, similar to the mobile sections which could be separated to escalators provide links to the upper levels. lower floors, while the fourth would house a reveal the intricately detailed interior. More The elegant 'La Scala' staircase in the centre spectacular rooftop restaurant. Plans are than 4000 needle lights were incorporated, leads to the first floor, where a Reject Shop currently being reconsidered, however, and allowing life-like photographs to be taken for and two more large stores plus 34 further it is likely that both will be converted to luxury marketing purposes as shown above. rat.ail units are situated. As with the ground office accommodation. Comprising over 100 shops and many floor, spacious malls provide access. There Servicing is provided at basement level leisure facilities, the new centre has three are also escalators leading to the customer where there is ample provision for vehicular main entrances on the ground floor. Passing car park on the roof of the two-storey rear deliveries, goods handling and distribution, along grand malls, the public gain access to section of the building. The fpurth atrium is with goods lifts extending to all floors. 37 varied retail units, and a Marks & Spencer also situated in this rear section. Many tenants on the ground floor have extra food hall. These grand malls interact with The second floor is also occupied by the food sales or storage accommodation within the four dramatic atrium spaces, two of which boulevard, with a choice of 18 restaurants, basement: there is also staff parking space. 3 The construction works The general public now using these facilities are unlikely to be aware of the scale and complexity of the works undertaken in the completion of this project, which occupies a site area of 180m x 90m. The demolition had to be carefully planned in order to retain the original Belcher build­ ing, as well as the later Curtis Green facade. It was necessary to provide temporary stabilization of this facade with lattice steel towers and gantries anchored to piled found­ ations. The demolition works inside the facade included the spectacular felling of an old brick chimney stack and the removal of large quantities of rubble. Bulk excavation quickly followed the demoli­ tion works. New reinforced concrete raft foundations incorporated a waterproof mem­ brane, together with underground drainage and cable ducts. New concrete retaining walls and columns followed immediately, allowing new sus­ pended floor slabs to be constructed, utiliz­ ing polystyrene void formers. These new construction works had to be stitched into the existing Belcher building and Curtis Green facade. While they were taking shape, the alteration and restoration of the Belcher building was carried out. This included cleaning and re­ pairing the facade, and the domes over its two atria. The stability of the existing 1912 steel struc­ ture required upgrading by welding the joints of the framework, and considerable struc­ tural alteration was necessary to form new openings for escalators and service cores. These early construction works utilized the whole site area. It was therefore necessary to provide temporary site office accommoda­ tion stacked on gantries around the building perimeter, beneath which there were facili­ ties for the delivery and off-loading of 4 materials. boundary to the new basement earliest examples of steel­ bearing i:1ressures up to Structural 2 which was relatively clear of the framed construction based on 270kN/m . This was only considerations existing one. However, because the 1909 LCC Regulations. possible through the removal of of its proximity to terraced These allowed, for the first time the frequent 340mm thick solid Philip Jordan housing with shallow footings, in the UK, the frame to be brick fire compartment walls and because of the depth of the designed to carry all the loads provided within the existing The structural works fall into two new basement, the temporary on the building. The design of store. New compartment walls distinct categories: the works wall was regularly this was carried out by a Mr were built using lightweight refurbishment of the Belcher monitored until the new Alexander Drew, a mechanical aerated blocks, generally building and the so-called 'new­ retaining wall and ground floor engineer! 190mm thick. build' areas. The Belcher slab had been constructed. building provides approximately The article also proves that fast­ At the interface of the Belcher Y, of the total floor area.