Gloucester Quays ‘Gull-wing’ Roof Lands

The unique glazed gull-wing roof of the highly anticipated Gloucester Quays Designer Outlet is now firmly in place.

At the heart of the scheme is the main atrium space with the curved glazed ‘gull-wing’ roof at its apex. The roof is a key feature of the Designer Outlet centre and is 60 metres long by 40 metres wide. It not only allows in natural light, but is also key to the building’s natural ventilation and fire strategies and provides a platform for roof top services.

The roof structure utilises 250 tonnes of steel in the form of ‘wing-like’ trusses radiating from a central spine. The trusses support specially facetted glazed panels of up to 2.1x 3.6 metres in a rising and falling arrangement. Combined with centrally-placed windcatcher units, louvred vents at the edge are controlled to provide natural ventilation to the internal environment.

The roof has been designed to make a strong, elegant and unique design statement, both internally and, at the same time, adding impact to the local skyline.

Nick Hey, Construction Director at Peel said, “The installation of the gull-wing roof is a significant milestone in the construction of the designer outlet centre. Not only is it a stunning piece of architecture but will give the centre natural light making it an enjoyable to place to shop and relax”.

Val Wiggins of architects Dyer Associates said, “The curve of the roof and the expression of its ribbed structure are linked to the history of traditional timber framed ships coming to Gloucester Quays and the dynamic flow of water along the adjacent Sharpness canal and the Severn River. The roof is designed to float above the surrounding structure supported from tree structures which reference the spars and rigging of the “tall ships “that still visit the inland port of Gloucester.”