MAKING PROCESS

The roof of the stand, engineered by ARUP, is formed from 11 cantilevered glue laminated (glulam) American white oak beams, manufactured in Germany by specialist timber fabricators Hess. Each beam measures 900mm x 350mm at the deepest point. The longest glulam beam weighs approximately 4 tonnes and measures 23.4 metres in length, the same as 26 cricket bats lined up nose to tail. They are all covered by a lightweight fabric roof covering. 

 “Our work on the Warner Stand at Lord’s brings this historic sporting institution into the 21st Century, whilst retaining the ground’s heritage look and feel. The improved sightlines and upgraded hospitality features, combined with behind-the-scenes improvements to match-day facilities, have enhanced this famous establishment, ensuring the viewer experience now matches its reputation for world-class cricket.” 

Will Whitby, Lead Structural Engineer at Arup.

American white oak was chosen for this project for it’s excellent strength properties which allowed the beams to be more slender than if they had been made from a constructional softwood. The stiffness and uniformity of U.S. white oak also allowed the fabricators to precisely predict deflection levels and camber in the process.