Page 6 - SISK NEWS JANUARY 2017

Royal Academy of Arts

The Sisk team are making good progress on the Royal Academy of Arts master plan that
combines two Grade 2 listed buildings and a fully functioning art gallery attracting one million
visitors a year. Due for completion in time for the Royal Academy’s 250th anniversary in 2018,
these plans include building a bridge between two historic buildings to create unified campus.

Extensive demolition and alteration works of spaces of refurbishing heritage buildings has been felt in the
and buildings that were once used as science refurbishment of the Burlington House entrance. Here
laboratories and offices, will double the size of the we discovered areas of asbestos and an original stone
Royal Academy’s gallery space for future exhibitions. floor under 1950/60’s floor tiling. This floor is now to
These are now approaching completion and the focus be fully restored with a new design and areas of new
is now shifting to reconstruction. Hazeldean Sandstone which is quarried near Alnwick
in Northumberland to match the original stone which is
The area that once housed the university lecture now unobtainable. This major discovery is challenging
theatre will accommodate a new 260-seat auditorium. the whole project team to rethink the sequencing of
This theatre now occupies a two-storey full height the works to cause minimum disruption to the original
space following the demolition of one entire floor plate. plans.
The structural steel to support the new auditorium
seating has just been completed . This was no easy Despite these challenges, the Sisk team led by
challenge as the steel members had to be transported Regional Director, Noel Sheehan, Bob Henderson,
firstly by tower crane and lowered into the basement Project Director and Senior Contracts Manager, Mark
before being lifted through floor openings into position Makinson are very proud to be working with the Royal
with a spider crane. Academy of Arts on this historic project, which will
ultimately provide a better welcome for visitors, and a
This operation has gone exceptionally smoothly aided more diverse learning programme thanks to the new
by extensive planning that included a full 3D laser facilities.
survey of the existing spaces to enable accurate BIM
modelling to be created by the architect and structural The new auditorium
engineers. The steelwork structure includes curved
steel seating pans that will receive a high quality
terrazzo finish in due course. Now that this work is
complete a birdcage scaffold is being erected to
enable the major fibrous plaster repairs and restoration
of the ceilings and walls with panelling and mouldings.
Whilst good progress is being made, the challenge

The Spider Crane

jsutsrut cbteuernalcsotemepl lteotesdupport the new auditorium seating

The
has

6 Sisk News | January 2017