Construction Management is the highest circulation construction-based publication serving the UK built environment.
News
Images | Restoration of ancient Westminster Hall complete
Hidden since 2005, the ornate timber interior of the lantern can be seen once more
The restoration of the Grade-I-listed Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, has been completed under the project management of consultancy Pick Everard.
Work involved: the cleaning of the hall’s 14th
century hammer-beam roof internally; essential repairs to the roof timber
trusses; repair and restoration of the lead-covered roof lantern; the installation
of fire safety equipment, including an automated fire detection and voice alarm
system; and the installation of all cabling infrastructure for a future
lighting scheme.
The restoration of the roof lantern required specialist carpentry works
The hall was originally built in 1097 by
King William II and later remodelled to include the hammer-beam roof
by Richard II in 1393. The roof is the largest medieval timber roof in
Northern Europe. The 13 oak hammer beams weigh some 660 tonnes.
This is not a paywall. Registration allows us to enhance your experience across Construction Management and ensure we deliver you quality editorial content.
Registering also means you can manage your own CPDs, comments, newsletter sign-ups and privacy settings.
It is the only part of the palace that survives in almost
its original form, despite being ravaged by a fire in October 1834
and damaged by an incendiary bomb during the Second World War.
Historical events to have taken place in the hall include
the trials of William Wallace and Charles I, and ceremonial addresses by the
Queen, Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama.
After the hall was bombed in the war, the
roof lantern that sits atop the roof was rebuilt in the 1950s. In
2005, a temporary crash deck was installed to ensure the structure
was safe, but which obscured the view of the lantern.
The roof lantern atop the hall was carefully dismantled and restored using traditional craftsmanship
Pick Everard director Gary Buick said: “The roof lantern atop
the hall has been carefully dismantled and restored using traditional
craftsmanship. Hidden since 2005, the ornate timber interior of the lantern can
be seen once more.
“Not only can the public experience Westminster Hall in its
original glory, but the beams and lantern shouldn’t require
further conservation work for another hundred or so years,
providing a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
A total of 360 litres of dust was removed from each roof
truss during the works.
Buick added: “As the roof lantern is a timber
structure with lead cladding, cast lead detailing and internal timber panels,
its restoration required a lot of specialist carpentry works. For health
and safety purposes, we couldn’t put any additional weight on the roof so
a complex, self-supporting scaffold bridge was constructed
so work could be carried out.
“It was of great importance that the lantern remained true
to its roots, so the original sand-cast lead was removed, melted down and
re-cast using the same traditional method that was applied when it was
made in the 1950s.
“Now the repair and restoration of the lantern is complete,
the temporary crash deck has been removed, which has once again opened up its
true magnificence to all walking through the hall.”
Westminster Hall remained open to the public throughout the
construction works, subject to closures as a result of the coronavirus
pandemic. Keeping it open required the installation of large vinyl canvases
that included photos of the windows before the temporary, complex
scaffolding was put up.
The November/December 2025 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
Powered Access
CM, in partnership with IPAF, has launched a new survey to explore the industry’s views and experiences with powered access machines on construction projects.
This is not a first step towards a paywall. We need readers to register with us to help sustain creation of quality editorial content on Construction Management. Registering also means you can manage your own CPDs, comments, newsletter sign-ups and privacy settings. Thank you.
