




This monumental gateway marks the site of Edwardian pleasure gardens at Vauxhall Cross in South London. The two 20 metre columns are cast in pigmented reinforced concrete. A major consideration in their design was how to manage the risk of thermal cracking in the thick concrete sections. This was achieved by incorporating a hollow core and by selecting aggregates and cement substitutes to reduce the high temperatures caused by hydration. The steel shutters were insulated to control cooling and the concrete temperature gradient monitored using cast-in thermocouples.
Architect:DSDHA
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