St George's Park History

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

The Park

---

THE last major steel component of the R5.5-million Pearson Conservatory restoration in Port Elizabeth’s St George’s Park has been fitted over the central atrium.

The precision-built clerestory superstructure, which weighs 2500kg, was hoisted into position by crane, placed on its six original cast iron columns, and bolted into place with a number of astragals (decorative moulding) providing lateral support.

“The refurbished meranti window frames consisting of alternating opening and closing sections are fitted to all elevations of the wings and now need to be edged and sealed with silicon,” said project architect Kirsten Thompson of The Matrix architects and urban designers. “Most steels, both new and refurbished original, have received their primer coats and are ready to be painted with their final colour coat.

“The conservatory is starting to take shape now, but there is still a lot of fine work to be done, such as the final fixing of the astragals, intricate paint work to ornate sections, and the fixing of the extensive metres of fibreglass mouldings.”

Only once the structure has been bolted and fully stressed into place will the glaziers take measurements and order and fit the glass.

“A major step still to come is the fitting of the glazing, and essentially that’s what this building is all about.

A disabled access ramp, coming in from the western side, is to be built.

Ivor Markman
The Herald,
August 13, 2010