The restoration and conservation project will result in a revitalised atrium with precast concrete elements and glass, as well as a modern interpretation of post-war Mediterranean architecture with the addition of precast colonnades to the internal courtyard, which will be landscaped and updated for multi-purpose use.
The Pavilion was built on sand which created major structural issues, so a redesign of the foundations resulted in over 200 screw piles being installed to support the new and existing structures, a very complex process due to the inconsistency of the in-ground conditions and asbestos discovered during demolition.
The precast elements that forge the new to the old, aesthetically represent the waves of the sea in the courtyard and the Y-columns and beams support the ‘skylight’ glazing, bringing natural light into the centre of the atrium at the heart of the Pavilion. Precast concrete columns and beams that would replace the old wooden columns and beams, all with the objective of retaining the heritage character and thereby requiring a product of high architectural quality, structural integrity, and visual enrichment.
Peikko's bolted connection solution supported the Y-shape precast columns. With bolted connections the installation was easy and fast process. As columns didn’t require any temporary propping the surface of column remain untouched. Preventing temporary propping also helped other work on site because of the heritage building status and small site area.
