Somerset House, a Grade I listed Palladian complex is considered as of the finest examples of English Heritage in London. As part of a long overdue refurbishment, EJAL was commissioned to do some studies to replace the existing north entrance, including a new feature staircase, lift & entrance lobby befitting of the Trustees’ future vision.

The solution provides a vertical, compact shaft with an ambitious cantilevered scissor stair that avoids contact with the historic building fabric. The natural desire for lightness & transparency in a restricted space with limited headroom meant the structure had to be limited with slim profiled edges, distributing loads to the central spine with a stainless steel mesh newel stabilising the stair and transferring loads to the basement.

The only material with the capability to achieve this was Ductal by Lafarge, an ultra-high performance fibre-reinforced concrete, allowing beautiful cast 3D shapes.