Overview
The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in Kensington, south London, is a Grade I listed building, celebrated worldwide for its priceless collection of artwork and artefacts. Maintaining the complex network of roofs is crucial to protect the building and its valuable exhibits, ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for staff and visitors. This project involved refurbishing the existing roofs, including both flat and pitched roof areas, and installing a new warm roof build-up for one of the galleries. Avoiding hot works while providing a robust, low-maintenance solution was critical to the project's success.
The Project
The roofing project comprised three phases and the client was keen that a cold-applied liquid roofing system should be used for all the roof areas involved to create a consistent finish and enable complex detailing while avoiding the health and safety risks of hot works. CARLISLE's ARBOFLEX®PU system was chosen to meet these specification criteria.
Phase 1 involved overlaying new waterproofing on seven gallery roofs, covering approximately 600m2 and involving roof areas with a 45-degree pitch. The system was applied directly onto the existing asphalt surface, including encapsulation of the gullies.
Phase 2 required an overlay of domed roof areas, walkways, and gullies using the ARBOFLEX® PU liquid waterproofing system, involving complex detailing and traditional lead flashings. Phase 3 focused on creating a warm roof build-up for Gallery 94, with extensive detailing required to accommodate roof-top plant and equipment, including around 50 stanchions rising through the roof as fixings for mechanical plant and screens. The detailing requirements also included adapting the drainage to improve resilience against standing water, while working with the original building design.
The project aimed to protect the Grade I listed building and achieve a roof refurbishment that complements the museum’s aesthetics while ensuring long-term performance and reduced maintenance.
QUICK FACTS
Project: V&A Museum, London
Main Contractor: Quinn London
Roofing Contractor: Martin Roofing Contractors
Material:Waterproofing membrane: ARBOFLEX®PU Liquid Waterproofing
FG35 Primer, ARBOFLEX®PU Liquid Carrier Membrane
Application: Refurbishment project