Going Full Circle with Project Mint
London’s O2 arena has become an iconic part of the global music scene, and its circle is now set to be completed through the Project Mint. Once finished, visitors will have a complete 360-degree circuit around the dome, and the currently undeveloped area will be filled with more than 80 retail units that cover approximately 400,000 sq ft.
Our client, Lindner Group, commissioned Design4Structures to design the supports for both the timber panels of the ceiling and the glass panels of the smoke barriers. Mauro Barosio was our lead engineer on this project, and his team had to overcome several complexities that were featured in the project’s designs.
In some cases, the smoke panels were up to 2m high, while others were curved or crossed underneath the above steel beams. The metal deck above the smoke barriers was also irregular, often with two adjacent areas going in different directions, making the connections for the smoke barriers all the more complicated.
The real challenge of this project was to deliver a smart solution for the structure which could account for the complex geometry, overcoming issues such as clashes with the main structure and various conditions of the connecting surfaces. The structure also needed maximum flexibility in order for constructors to make changes to the structural geometry as needed. Our smart approach allowed us to hang both elements from either the main composite metal deck or above steel beams, avoiding any clashes with the main structure.
The main structure of this exciting new development has been designed by BuroHappold, and will be split into two zones. The ‘Excite’ zone will feature three buildings connected by walkways and bridges, while the ‘Relax’ zone will be just one building that has a more tranquil design. We are extremely proud to have worked with Lindner on this iconic building, and we look forward to seeing these designs come to life.
