Darwin Centre, Natural History Museum, London

Patrick Ryan Associates were instructed to carry out Structural Engineering Analysis of the glass wall

The bolted glass facade of the new Darwin Centre (phase one) at the Natural History Museum in London is suspended from the building by means of large steel castings attached to the building frame using a hub structure.

It was necessary to investigate the resistance forces generated in the hub structure by the glass facade due to building movements and forces.

This was done using a large finite element analysis of the entire glass wall, the supporting castings and the building columns and beams supporting the castings.

Results relating to the building movements and forces gave an insight to engineers and other professionals as to the behaviour the glass wall construction.

The analysis enabled a solution to the problem of the forces at the connection of the castings to the structure.