Woolwich Pavilion

IG Masonry Support played a pivotal role in realising the Pavilion’s defining Brick Slip Arches, delivering complex prefabricated solutions that deliver the aesthetics to compliment the historic Gatehouse in the square. Through extensive collaboration, advanced offsite manufacturing, and bespoke engineering, the arches were delivered to the highest standard, ensuring this small but significant building achieved its architectural ambition.

The Pavilion’s design centred around a series of eight striking Brick Slip Arches that define its façade. These arches were not only visually prominent but also technically demanding, requiring precision in both engineering and craftsmanship. The details of the arches were agreed early in the project through a series of design workshops with POW Architects, ensuring accuracy in the prefabrication process and efficiency during installation.

To respect planning requirements and ensure consistency with the historic surroundings, handmade red stock bricks were selected. Their natural dimensional variations posed a challenge, but through a series of dry lays at IG Masonry Support’s factory, brick slips were carefully tested and aligned. This process ensured accurate coursing, high-quality finishes, and seamless integration with the surrounding brickwork onsite.

The centrepiece of the Pavilion is a large corbelled arch, measuring 6 metres internally and 7 metres externally. Due to site access constraints, the arch was engineered in three separate sections that were bolted together onsite, with additional slips supplied to cover the joints. The arch itself was not fixed back to the superstructure; instead, stability was achieved through its wide base and careful tying of the surrounding brickwork back to the inner leaf. This approach overcame installation challenges while preserving the architectural integrity of the Pavilion.

Alongside the main feature, seven smaller arches were supplied, including two left-hand bias arches, one right-hand bias arch, and four non-bias arches. Each featured five corbelled reveals, demanding intricate cutting and assembly. With around 185 uniquely cut bricks per arch, precision was critical to achieving the rowlock bond pattern and ensuring alignment with the adjacent brickwork. These arches also required bespoke solutions to support the inner leaf and accommodate varying cavity widths, with secondary masonry arches introduced where necessary to guarantee structural integrity.

A key design requirement was ensuring the arches blended seamlessly into the surrounding brickwork. To achieve this, IG Masonry Support designed the arches to incorporate corbelled piers, creating level bearing zones that aligned perfectly with the coursing on both sides. This detailing ensured the arches felt integrated rather than applied to the façade.

The outer Brick Slip Arches were supplied together with supporting inner leaf arches, enabling them to deliver in combination as a cavity wall lintel system. While not cavity wall lintels in the traditional sense, this arrangement provided a practical solution that simplified installation, maintained consistency across the build, and delivered the required structural performance without compromising the architectural intent.

Through bespoke engineering, precision prefabrication, and close collaboration with the project team, IG Masonry Support delivered a series of arches that are central to the Pavilion’s architectural identity. These solutions not only met the structural demands of the design but also respected the historic character of Beresford Square, ensuring the Pavilion plays its full role as a civic landmark within Woolwich’s regeneration.