A bridge to the dinosaurs at Crystal Palace
Hot dip galvanized by Joseph Ash Chesterfield
In 1854, a ‘Dinosaur Court’ opened on an island at Crystal Palace Park. The attraction consisted of 30 plus life-size dinosaurs, sculpted by acclaimed sculptor and natural history artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins. Described as the “birthplace of ‘Dinomania’”, the ‘Dinosaur Court has been “a symbol of British influence” ever since.
The Grade I Historic Site has been available to the public for nearly 170 years, and it needs regular care and attention with conservation monitoring, repair of the sculptures and grounds maintenance. Volunteers help, however access to the dinosaurs became challenging in 2017 when the footbridge leading to the island was removed. Something had to be done! Enter the Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, who successfully raised money through crowdfunding to reinstate a bridge. Not the same bridge as before. Instead, a new fit-for-purpose pedestrian bridge in a new location.
The structural designer for the bridge was Arup, and the architect was Tonkin Lui. Joseph Ash Chesterfield provided the steel protection. The main contractor, design collaborator and steel fabricator was Cake Industries.
Cake Industries – the bridge fabricators
Cake Industries is a design and fabrication firm that produces beautiful objects, from sculpture and staircases to bridges and small buildings. They take an idea or a set of drawings and turn it into reality, carrying out the full design (including structural engineering) and assembling the elements.
Cake Industries built the bridge in their South London workshop. Starting with precise laser-cut pieces, a female mould was used to assemble the triangular spine beam. Laser-cut combs were heated locally and bent by hand so that the shape of the deck was gradually revealed. The deck pieces were welded to the central beam before a handrail and deck mesh was attached.
The entire structure was then galvanized in one dip at Joseph Ash Chesterfield to provide a protective and decorative coating.
Bridge installation
The new bridge was installed at Crystal Palace Park in January 2021. To protect this batch of dinosaurs from extinction, it was designed on a pivot to open or close to control traffic to the island prevent unauthorised access to the site.
Watch this short film by Cake Industries to see a timelapse of the bridge fabrication, through to hot dip galvanizing and installation. You can also see how it opens and closes.
Known affectionately as the ‘Dinosaur Bridge’, it has been an acclaimed success due to its functionality and beauty. It has also been shortlisted for the Institute of Structural Engineers 2021 Award for Pedestrian Bridges. (Good luck Cake Industries!)
A long-time partnership
Joseph Ash Galvanizing has worked on several projects for Cake Industries and each one is interesting, challenging, and exciting. (Read about some recent projects: The Living Room and The Hothouse.) A bit like the Crystal Palace dinosaurs, our company also started life in the 1850’s, so we were delighted to assist with this project!
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If you’d like to see the ‘Dinosaur Court’ and the Dinosaur Bridge, visit the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs website. For more pictures of the bridge visit Cake Industries and The Trianglese blog.
(Photos by James Balston)
Next pageA beautiful structure with a stark warning – fabricated by Cake Industries and hot dip galvanized by Joseph Ash Galvanizing.
In the Summer of 2020, a large-scale installation called ‘The Hothouse’ was erected at Stratford. As a landmark feature for London Design Week, it was intended as a stunning showcase for the public to look at, experience and enjoy, as well as a reminder and celebration of the rich East London history of the 1930s when there were 1,300 acres of greenhouses positioned along the Lee Valley corridor, growing ornamental plants, flowers, and fruits.
Additionally, however, The Hothouse was also designed to deliver a serious message about the world’s rapidly changing climate. A climate that has already increased by 1°C temperature since pre-industrialisation, which could have catastrophic consequences if it reaches 2°C.
Over the last year, orange, guava, gourd, pomegranate, chia seed, lemon, mango, sugarcane, loquat, and pineapple have all been grown under controlled conditions inside The Hothouse. While it’s interesting to see how these species grow, it’s a stark warning that should the planet continue to heat up, by 2050 the UK climate will be warm enough to produce these tropical plants outside.
The project
The Hothouse is at the International Quarter London, a business development built in Stratford and close to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The architect for the project was Studio Weave, whom Lendlease commissioned. Studio Weave worked with horticultural designer Tom Massey and planting team Hortus Loci to fill and landscape The Hothouse.
At seven metres tall, the design was inspired by Victorian glasshouses and is held up by galvanized steel CHS sections (rolled to create the form), and cables.
Cake Industries was chosen as the main contractor, fabricator, and detailed structural designer of this project. With a reputation for working with the finest materials, bringing concepts to life, and taking a design-focused approach to all projects, Cake Industries was also chosen as the fabricator for The Living Room project, installed at Stratford in 2020.
As a long-standing supplier to Cake Industries, Joseph Ash Galvanizing was chosen to manage the hot dip galvanizing process for the steel CHS sections.
Hot dip galvanizing is imperative for steel-based projects because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attacks that cause rust.
Hot dip galvanizing is also an apt coating for this project because it is environmentally friendly. It fits perfectly into a circular economy, optimising the durability of steel (enabling it to be used again), facilitating the ease of reuse, and it can be recycled. (Read more about this here.)
Additional suppliers included:
JJ Carter (fabric roof), Artura Engineering (tensile fabric design), Amorim, and JMR (section benders).
If you’d like to visit, The Hothouse will remain at Stratford until September 2021.
Photography by Ed Reeve.
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In 2020 a new structure was erected at the busy new commercial office district of Stratford’s International Quarter London. The design – known as The Living Room – was commissioned by Lendlease to create a multi-use, free co-working space for the workers and broader communities of Stratford. It was fabricated by one of our valued clients – Cake Industries – and hot dip galvanized by Joseph Ash Galvanizing.
The ethos behind the new International Quarter at Stratford, is encouraging people to work where they feel most inspired, and The Living Room certainly lives up to this goal. Designed by YOU&ME Architects with Cooke Fawcett Architects, it allows nearby office workers and the public to comfortably work outside, for fresh air and a change of scenery. Equipped with power sockets, lighting and WiFi, it can be used by up to 30 people.
The structure looks like a house on its side, forming a sheltered pitched canopy – should the weather prove inclement – with tiered seating.
It is made from hot dip galvanized steel and clad in glue-laminated larch timber.
Powder-coated aluminium shingles cover the exterior in a bright and colourful pattern of pinks and greens, which creates a sculptural shelter from every viewpoint. The fixed furniture made from bespoke, hot dip galvanized and powder-coated steel continues this vibrant theme. There’s also a 7m long communal table and durable hardwood seating.
A project to be proud of
Cake Industries were chosen as the fabricators of this project because they have a reputation for bringing concepts to life, working with the finest materials, and taking a design-focused approach to all projects, from sculptures to staircases, cabinetry to pavilions.
As a long-standing supplier to Cake Industries, Joseph Ash Galvanizing was chosen to manage the hot dip galvanizing process, and the vibrant powder coating.
Hot dip galvanizing is imperative for a project such as The Living Room because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards the steel from atmospheric attack, which causes rust. Powder coating also provides a robust, colourful layer to architectural steel.
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To book The Living Room, visit IQL.
Photos by Peter Landers.
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Take a look at these amazing dragon sculptures! They were recently hot dip galvanized at our Joseph Ash Bridgend plant, for Phoenix Forge.
The dragon in the top photo is made from over 4000 individual scales each painstakingly welded to an armature, giving the dragon a life of its own. It took a little over five weeks to construct.
We’ve proudly galvanized a number of Phoenix Forge dragons over the years and it’s always a pleasure to help protect these wonderful works of art.
It’s fun to see these cheeky creatures around our plant too!
Thanks for sending them our way Phoenix Forge. We can’t wait to do some more.
About Phoenix Forge:
Phoenix Forge specialises in making beautiful handcrafted ironwork to enhance people’s homes or gardens. All of their work is designed by award winning artist blacksmith William Holland.
The Company opened in June 2010. They aim to breathe new life into iron through the ancient art and craft of traditional blacksmithing.
For those interested in learning the craft, the Company also runs creative courses such as the Blacksmith Taster Day.
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Whitby is a seaside town on the North Yorkshire coast. Full of maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, it is a popular destination for visitors all year round. To celebrate the town’s fishing and cultural heritage, and to encourage visitors to explore its streets, a group of local people and partner organisations recently commissioned a new art project: the Whitby Walk with Heritage Trail. Emma Stothard was the appointed artist, and our Hull plant (Premier Galvanizing) protected the steel.
The Whitby Walk with Heritage Trail – funded by the Government’s Coastal Revival Fund and Scarborough Council – is a series of stunning sculptures dotted around the town telling the story of Whitby’s fishing and cultural history. The sculptures start at the Whitby Swing Bridge and end at the Band Stand leading people through some of the lesser frequented areas of Whitby to try to support local businesses in those areas.
The sculptures include a fisherman mending a net, a fisher wife, a knitter at work on a gansey, a herring lass and a crow’s nest.
There are also sculptures which pay homage to two of Whitby’s famous residents: photographer Frank Meadow Sutcliffe, and Dora Walker, a North Sea skipper during WW2.
Emma Stothard, a renowned North Yorkshire sculptor, created the sculptures from wire steel. Because the sculptures need to stand the test of time and withstand the harsh environmental conditions of a coastal town, Emma sent the sculptures to Premier Galvanizing Hull so that they could be hot dip galvanized.
You can see photos of some of the sculptures at the Premier Galvanizing plant here:
Hot dip galvanizing is important for steel because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attack which causes rust.
Even though we regularly protect the steel used for sculptural works of art and we’re experienced in handling unusual pieces of steel, Emma’s project was a challenge at first because of its size and shape. It was a test our Hull plant overcame however, as Emma worked alongside Karl – Hull’s Works Manager – to ensure the sculptures were suitable for the hot dip galvanizing process.
Proud Yorkshire people
As a Yorkshire based galvanizing plant the team at Premier Galvanizing were pleased to be chosen as the galvanizer for this project. It was a privilege to work with Emma, and to play our part in celebrating the culture and history of Whitby.
To find out more about Emma Stothard, visit her website or follow her on Instagram.
Emma has spent most of her adult life living and working in Whitby, and her works can be found across towns and stately homes worldwide. Emma also frequently exhibits at the Chelsea Flower Show.
If you’re planning on a visit to Whitby and you’d like to know more about the heritage trail, follow the Facebook page Walk with Heritage. The page shows photos of Emma’s progress as she built the sculptures. It also shows the sculptures in their final place in Whitby.
Work is also being carried out to create an app to support the trail. When people follow the walk, they will be able to see information about their location and each statue’s/character’s story.
(Photo by Phil Hearing on Unsplash)
Next pageStunning animal sculptures fabricated from horseshoes by Tom Hill, and hot dip galvanized by our sister plant, Premier Galvanizing Corby
In February 2021, Premier Galvanizing Corby was asked to treat a range of unique and stunning animal sculptures fabricated by artist Tom Hill. Everything from a stag, a doe, a horse and a hare. Most of the animals were commissioned by the owners of a soon-to-be-launched wedding venue in Devon, set on farmland.
Based in Hertfordshire, Tom is an unusual artist as he sculpts with recycled horseshoes to create life size animal works of art.
Tom specialises in equine sculpture but also sells hedgehogs, squirrels, ducks, herons, swans, pigs, badgers, different breeds of dogs, lions, cheetahs, stags, camels and elephants, all of which are life size. You can see more of these on his website.
As a self-taught sculptor, Tom utilises a gas forge and hammer as well as various welding techniques to heat and shape the horseshoes to craft his projects.
Once he has built his sculptures, he needs to ensure their longevity by having the steel treated with a galvanised finish – a service provided by Premier Galvanizing.
Hot dip galvanizing is important for steel because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attack.
Premier Galvanizing Corby has treated many projects for Tom over the last few years. Another notable project was a sculpture of a horse and jockey for the Injured Jockey’s Centre which opened in Newmarket in October 2019. Tom books Premier Galvanizing Corby due to our location, excellent reputation and bath size. We are also able to collect the projects, galvanize them, and deliver them back to Tom, taking away all the transportation logistics.
We enjoy working on Tom’s fabrications. It’s especially great to see them arrive at our Corby plant as untreated steel, watch as they are carefully dipped into the baths of zinc, and then be amazed as they emerge with a new silver zinc coating.
Bryony Crowden from Premier Galvanizing Corby said, “We have really enjoyed working alongside Tom, and we can’t wait to see what future works come into the plant from him’.
We look forward to receiving your next projects Tom!
Next pageIf you can make it – we can galvanise it!
For the last two years, Godbold Blacksmiths has been exclusively sending projects to our Premier Galvanizing team for steel finishing.
The Hull plant has been the lucky recipient and it’s been an honour and a privilege to protect the steel produced by this amazing team of artists and makers.
About Godbold Blacksmiths Limited
Godbold Blacksmiths was set up in 1985 by James Godbold. Based in Whitby, North Yorkshire, it began with a few commissions and grew from there.
Fast forward 36 years and the Blacksmiths has a large workshop employing nine people, trained in both traditional skills and modern techniques.
The Company now produces everything from gates, railings, candlesticks, staircases, signs and sculptures – pieces which have often been inspired by the local scenery: the Yorkshire Moors and the rugged coastline. Hear more about this from James himself.
Hot dip galvanizing
As Godbold’s works with iron and steel, and metals need to be protected from the elements (to prevent against rust and corrosion), the Company sends their projects to Premier Galvanizing Hull for hot dip galvanizing.
Hot dip galvanizing is important because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attack.
Works of art
Over the last couple of years, the team at Hull have been proud to hot dip galvanize sculptures, gates, railings, benches and even door handles on behalf of Godbold’s. They also treated the steel for the now famous Godbold Fin the Fish sculpture, which was used as an environmental awareness campaign by Yorkshire Water, Scarborough Council and the University of Hull in 2019.
Long may this partnership continue.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the projects we have worked on:
‘If you can draw it – we can make it’
When Godbold Blacksmiths receives a commission from a new customer, no job is too big or too small. In fact, their motto is ‘If you can draw it – we can make it’.
Because the Hull plant is proud to hot dip galvanize for this talented team, their response is: ‘If you can make it – we can galvanize it.’
Find out more:
To read more about Godbold Blacksmiths, visit their website or view their social profiles (Instagram and facebook).
Next pageAnd hot dip galvanized garden sculptures
Two years ago, a client of our Corby (Premier Galvanizing) plant – Kurt Lightfoot – received an unusual birthday present from his wife: an artist’s metalwork course. Kurt completed the course and became hooked, and two years on now runs his own steel metalcraft business called Orna-Metal UK.
Orna-Metal UK – based in Peterborough – specialises in quality handmade garden features, household decorative ornaments and bespoke sculptures for independent retailers and private customers. Every item is unique using traditional methods and skills.
Drawing on inspiration from the ‘Arts and Craft’ movement of the late 19th century, which rebelled against poor quality mass production, Kurt creates works of arts which reflect the organic beauty of nature.
One such work of art is Dennis the Dragonfly!
To grow his business, Kurt spent time exhibiting at craft shows and wanted a statement piece to attract attention. He decided to sculpt a magnificent dragonfly, and Dennis was born!
After taking Dennis to two shows, a customer approached Kurt with an offer to buy. However, the customer wasn’t keen on the weathered look, and wanted the dragonfly to be shiny and silver so that it would stand out on the island on a lake, where it’s now installed.
Hot dip galvanizing was the answer and Kurt booked our Corby plant to manage the finish.
Premier Galvanizing Corby was the perfect option as the galvanizing baths could accommodate the large size of Dennis.
The team at Corby rose to the challenge and treated the dragonfly with a protective galvanized finish that will last for many years to come.
Kurt was very pleased with the finish and has since sent some additional sculptures to Corby. Below are some cala lillies, which were hot dip galvanized in late Summer/early Autumn.
It’s a pleasure to work on such impressive works of art and we look forward to a growing relationship with Kurt and Orna-Metal UK.
Next pageRacks for Automatic Carton Freezers treated by Joseph Ash Galvanizing
In 2019, Westfort Meat Products started work building a brand new state-of-the-art modern meat processing facility, with an integrated cold-storage and freezing warehouse. They turned to NH3 Ltd to produce the freezers. NH3 Ltd commissioned Midlands Structures to fabricate the steel, who, in turn, booked Joseph Ash Walsall to treat the steel.
Westfort Meat Products is a Dutch family business, based in Utrecht, The Netherlands. With a long history in the pork industry, they are now known as one of the world’s most cutting-edge meat processors.
As part of a 2019 construction project, they embarked on a mission to build a brand-new cutting plant and deboning facility, including a built-in cold-storage and freezing warehouse. It was part of an initiative to bring all new facilities under one roof, to improve centralisation and logistics.
The construction project involved the need for two new Automatic Carton Freezers (ACF), and Westfort commissioned NH3 Ltd to make them.
Based in Suffolk, England, NH3 are industrial freezing and chilling specialists, who design, install, commission and maintain bespoke industrial refrigeration plants worldwide.
NH3 set to work manufacturing the two ACF’s for Westfort, which they believe are the biggest freezers in Europe, if not the world.
As part of the project they commissioned Midlands Structures to fabricate the steel racks, which weighed in at about 700 tonnes.
For such a large project, durability and longevity is key. Therefore, Joseph Ash Walsall was booked by the steel fabrication company to treat the steel with a hot dip galvanized coating.
Hot dip galvanizing is important because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attack.
In total, Joseph Ash treated approximately 1000 racks for the freezers, as well as other parts of the machinery.
The construction project at Westfort Meat Products is due for completion this year. To see the scale of the Automatic Carton Freezers, watch this NH3 video.
Next pageA stunning sculpture of a horse and hare, hot dip galvanized at Joseph Ash Walsall.
A few years ago, sculptural artist Rupert Till sketched out a drawing for a sculpture of a horse and a hare. He added it to his to-do list as something to create one day. Lockdown provided the perfect opportunity, and ‘Never Alone’ was created. Joseph Ash Walsall was happy to galvanize it for him.
Rupert Till is one of the leading contemporary sculptors in the UK. He uses bronze, steel and copper to create stunning works of art depicting nature. Not only have the sculptures been featured in a number of galleries across the UK, but Rupert has also exhibited at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show every year for the past 25+ years.
The inspiration behind ‘Never Alone’
As a country boy at heart, Rupert has always had a love for animals, with his own horses acting as life models for many of his sculptures. A few years ago, he had an accident at work when installing a sculpture, and whilst he recovered, he continuously drew small hares. These drawings inspired him to combine both animals – horse and hare – into one piece of art. The result was a charming sculpture called ‘Never Alone’.
Protection for metal sculptures
Because Rupert’s sculptures are made from intertwined metal, they are often hot dip galvanized as a form of protection.
Hot dip galvanizing is important because it provides a long-life, low-maintenance corrosion protection which safeguards steel from atmospheric attack.
A valued customer
Rupert has been sending his works to Joseph Ash Walsall for years. Sometimes sending in 5-10 sculptures at a time, and averaging about 40+ large sculptures each year (alongside smaller ones too). As well as galvanizing ‘Never Alone’ earlier this year, in May, the team at Walsall also hot dip galvanized nine sheep, some hens, three horse heads and a pair of boxing hares for Rupert. The menagerie of steel animals made an amusing sight at the plant!
Rupert said: “I think the team at Joseph Ash Walsall look forward to a challenge when receiving my sculptures. And they respect my knowledge of galvanizing, as it’s a service that I’ve needed for over 30 years. I would like to thank everyone at Walsall for treating my art over the last 10 years!”
Find out more about Rupert
Rupert lives in the Cotswolds with his wife and three children, in a stone house with converted stables where he has set up his studio. You can read more about him (and see more of his work) on his website. You can also read more in an interesting article written in Homes & Gardens by Emma Page in 2019. Rupert exhibited ‘Never Alone’ at the Josie Eastwood Gallery in Hampshire and it was sold at preview to a well-known garden designer. In 2021 Rupert plans to recreate it and showcase it at the 2021 Chelsea Flower Show. He then wants to auction it to raise funds for a mental health charity.
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