50 Years Ago
NSC 27
February 19
A striking landmark in an historical
setting is St Aengus’s church
on the shore of Lough Swilly
some six miles from Londonderry.
Set austerely in a mountainous
countryside, the church serves
three neighbouring village communities.
Near at hand, on a hilltop overlooking
the church stands the circular
Grianan Fort built of stone
and dating back to pre-Christian
times. The new church is circular
in plan and seats 550 worshippers.
The design incorporates an
inner ring of steel columns which
supports a steel and timber roof.
Copper covers the roof and spire.
All fittings and materials display
imaginative choice. Illustrations
show the startling beauty of both
outside and inside of this unusual
church. Architects, F. M. Corr
& W. H. D. McCormick of Northern
Ireland.
Reprinted from Volume 5 No. 3
November 1968
A three-year building extension programme
for this college costing £375,000
was concluded a month before time earlier
in the year.
Included in the project were six buildings
or extensions to existing buildings,
extensive car parks, external works and
landscaping.
One of the new buildings is a two-storey
administration block with a large single
storey sports hall with squash court, together
with administrative offices.
A highlight of the sports hall is a climbing
wall, (see illustration) believed to be
only the second of its kind in the country.
The sports hall also includes a volleyball
court and facilities for basketball badminton
and tennis.
Total floor area of the extensions is
65,532 sq. ft. Construction is generally
traditional with the engineering workshop
and domestic science blocks having
structural steelwork frames; in addition
the administration block and extensions
to the boiler house and kitchens have
part structural steelwork frames. The
domestic science block is seen in the second
illustration.
The whole design project was under the
direction of F. B. Pooley CBE, FRIBA,
FRICS, AMPTI, County Architect of
Buckinghamshire.
An immense tunnelling shield - the largest of its kind
yet to be made in the UK - has been in operation on
the cargo tunnel at Heathrow.
The main body of this shield is made up of welded
segments of mild steel plate bolted together with high
strength friction grip bolts. Outside dia is 39 ft, length
9 ft 11½ in and it was designed to operate in clay 22 ft
below ground level. To form the twenty working cells
the inside is divided by three vertical and four horizontal
girders of heavy welded construction. There are
sliding platforms in each of the sixteen upper cells.
The structure weights 202 tons: it was trial assembled
in the fabricator’s works (see illustration) and fitted
with all hydraulic equipment, sliding platforms etc.
After being thoroughly tested it was dismantled and
finally reassembled on site.
Consulting engineers for the British Airports Authority
for the whole project are Sir William Halcrow and
Partners.
AUSTERE BEAUTY
NOVEL SPORTS HALL AT AYLESBURY COLLEGE OF FURTHER EDUCATION STEEL FOR AIRPORT TUNNELLING