Half Dose #27: Glass Sea

"Years of exposure to the elements had taken their toll on Brunel's ss Great Britain -- the world's first iron hulled passenger liner." So the ss Great Britain Trust called on Arup and Alec French Architects to help repair and preserve the "wrought iron fabric of the historic vessel." Looking at the image below, they appeared to have done a splendid job.



But taking a closer look at the image below reveals something interesting: the ship appears to be floating on a glass sea! After the ship's reparations, the preservation of the hull required a dehumidified environment. This area is located under the false waterline, 50mm () of water sitting atop laminated glass plates supported by horizontal steel joists and glass beams, the latter especially helping to give the impression of the ship floating on water.



Links:

:: ss Great Britain
:: Arup (project page)
:: Alec French Architects (project page)