Bespoke Solid Oak Rooflight in a London Listed Building

Abstract

In 2026, RH will open its first gallery in London, in 7 Burlington Gardens, a grade II* Georgian Mansion. The project, designed by Foster + Partners, involved the renovation of a historic building, including the installation of several bespoke glass rooflights and a scenic lift shaft. Bellapart was in charge of the detailed design and engineering of these specialist works, as well as its fabrication and site assembly. The main rooflight consists of a hipped roof, with a central section composed of triangular insulating glass panels supported by a framework that includes solid oak timber beams and flitch beams. All used timber was visually graded solid oak, rather than laminated, as it is common practice, in order to achieve the natural aesthetics required by the client. The dimensions of the central glazed area are 24.4 × 4.2 m, while the overall dimensions of the rooflight are 27.9 × 10.9 m, with a total height of 4.8 m. Beneath the main rooflight lies the “Oculus” — a walkable glass floor composed of a single laminated glass panel with an elliptical shape, measuring 3.4 × 2.4 m. Additionally, four more rooflights are installed on the terrace of the building. Each features a circular insulating glass panel at the top and a mirror-polished stainless steel inverted funnel at the bottom, consisting in a cylinder on top of a quarter of a torus, which reflects the natural sunlight throughout the entire space. The rooflight set is completed by on composed of six fire-resistant insulating glass panels supported by a steel frame. The insulating glass panels from all rooflights were tested according to CWCT standards, achieving fragility classes 1 and 2. Beyond the rooflights, the scenic lift shaft is constructed from flat and curved laminated glass panels, structurally bonded to a powder painted steel structure.