Downland Gridshell, designed by Cullinan Studio for the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum, was the first timber gridshell built in Britain. Organised over two levels, the basement hosts the museum's collection of tools and artefacts, while the upper deck is a workshop and place for building conservation and training. Completed in 2002, the double-curvature shell structure consists of a double-layered grid with two laths in each direction. This design delivers the required flexibility with sufficient cross-section for strength. A fifth layer of wooden laths is added to triangulate the grid for more stiffness. The laths are connected at the grid nodes with steel plates and bolts. Construction in green oak, which was chosen for both its flexibility and strength, enabled a smaller cross-section to be used, thereby improving the efficiency of the structure.
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