Mount Snowdon Visitor Centre
The new Snowdon Visitor Centre is a complex shaped structure and was designed and built to fit into the mountain environment without impairing the spectacular view.
In Construction - September 2007
The centre will include a cafe, information area, medical facilities and emergency overnight shelter and an attached 60m long steel framed lean-to structure will house the new platform for the railway, plant rooms and staff accommodation.
Apart from the weather elements - dense fog, low cloud and winds of up to 80mph - the building team faced the logistical problems of getting workers and materials to site, on the summit at 1,065 metres above sea level.
Due to the remote location of the centre and the limitations on space, a complete trial erection was required to ensure the fabricated structure fitted together correctly on the summit. All individual members were marked up to help assist final erection and ensure the steel was taken up the mountain in the correct order. All steel taken to the summit was usually erected on that day to minimise disruption to other trades.
The trial consisted of erecting the complete steel skeleton as well as the Hi-point roofing system supplied by Corus, which was delivered in 25 individual elements and also trial erected to make sure they fitted the main steel structure.
Fact file
Client
Snowdonia National Park Authority
Architect
RH Architects
Main contractor
Carillion
Structural engineer
Arup
Steelwork contractor
EvadX
Steel tonnage
120t
