img(height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=2939831959404383&ev=PageView&noscript=1")

Words:
Jan-Carlos Kucharek
Credit: Oxford University Museum of Natural History

If you wanted to see scales in Oxford you’ve always had to walk through its Museum of Natural History to reach the anthropological oddities of the Pitt Rivers Museum beyond. But you needn’t have gone so far. Above your head in the Museum of Natural History’s main hall, its Irish architects Deane and Woodward were, back in 1861, making their own scales – 8,500 diamond-shaped glass tiles for its roof. Now, as part of the building’s £2m refurbishment, which includes the leaking roof, architect Purcell has used the 500cm2 tiles as a template, putting 10mm Pilkington Optifloat clear glass slumped in a ceramic mould to reproduce them – NOT something you’ll want to do with the contents of any bell jar in the Pitt Rivers.

 

Latest

In east London, dRMM's Wick Lane development blends industrial and residential space. Its roof design and materials, which reference Hackney Wick's heritage, create both variety and coherence, explains senior associate Will Howard

dRMM's east London Wick Lane development blends industrial and residential space, and references local heritage via its roof forms

Learn more about why there has been an increase of damp and mould and how controlled ventilation can help

Learn more about why there has been an increase of damp and mould and how controlled ventilation can help

Lead the restoration of four war memorial sites, bid for a spot on a schools construction framework, design a riverside community hub and market square - some of the latest architecture contracts and competitions from across the industry

Latest: War memorials conservation project

Asked to comprehensively remodel the two upper floors of a Grade II-listed merchant's house, Carmody Groarke put living space at the top and added a striking aluminium pavilion

Remodelling a former merchant's house's upper floors, Carmody Groarke put living space at the top and added an aluminium pavilion

The parade of temporary interventions on our streets injects them with joy, colour and life – and has lessons for architects, argues Eleanor Young

Temporary interventions on our streets inject them with joy, colour and life, and have lessons for architects