The Globe Case Study

The Brief

We were approached by Pen Y Bryn Joinery who were involved in the creation of a building in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia which was to act as the new headquarters for the Saudi Press Agency. The design of the auditorium section of the building was very unique as it had been designed in the shape of a globe and was to be clad with tiles so it looked exactly like the Earth. It was Pen Y Bryn Joinery’s role to create a framework to aid the production of the tiles, however, this presented a challenge. Pen Y Bryn Joinery had to be sure that the framework used would be an exact replica of the structure in Saudia Arabia so that the landmass ceramics would fit perfectly to the shape of the sphere. To do this they needed to create a cost effective replica of the curvature of the structure here in the UK.

A large industrial project like this has many challenges, the measurements and curvature of the tiles had to be completely accurate with allowance made for the clay to settle from wet to dry, as this results in shrinkage. It was quickly established a wooden ‘former’ was required to be able to support the weight of the materials as well as the people who were creating the tiles. It would need to be large enough to exactly replicate the curvature of the sphere at any point across its surface and ensure that each continent could be manufactured as one.