Fully restored, the Cutty Sark is now enclosed by a diagrid shell with glazing from Seele, which meets the hull just above the clipper ship’s waterline.
Inside the canopy, visitors can see that the ship has been raised off the ground and is supported by 24 steel struts designed by Buro Happold and manufactured by S H Structures. Part of the space underneath the ship is now used for permanent exhibitions.
South-north section.
Main-deck-level plan.
A significant portion of the £50 million price tag went into fully restoring the ship, including inserting 150 tons of strengthening steelwork from S H Structures into the hull to restore its original shape.
The ship’s interiors were also restored, allowing for visitors to see how the ship operated during the 19th century.
A new access tower, clad in glazing from Vitrine Systems and Tecu Brass from KME, helps control the flow of visitors.
Inside the tower, stairs clad in rubber flooring from Dalsouple give access to the ship’s main deck.
The hull of the Cutty Sark was reclad in Muntz metal, a brass alloy comprising 60 percent copper and 40 percent zinc.
