Consulting Structural and Civil Engineers
City
Church
Milton Keynes
Client: The Cornerstone Church Trustees
Architect: PDD Ltd.
The Ecumenical Church has a central octagonal dome 26m diameter supporting a cupola and cross feature reaching a height of 35m above the Worship area.
The surrounding accommodation is arranged outside a cloistered area and steps from a single storey at the corners to a three storied colonnaded portico on each side of a square cross which forms the overall plan of the building.
Steelwork has been used for the roofs generally and reinforced concrete for the supporting walls, columns and floors. The domed roof consists of an inner and outer skin framework creating a 2m void for maintenance. The inner dome is the main structural element and has semicircular and elliptical arch elements supported on a "collar" beam at the top of eight r.c. columns. The domes are braced together at the base and provide a stiff ring frame at this level to take the arch forces and general wind loading.
