Installation of New Public Viewing Gallery at the Monument

CWO celebrated a milestone in the £4.5m restoration of the Monument, funded by the City of London Corporation, as on Saturday 11th October 2008 the balustrade and framework for the new cage were craned into place at the top of the 61m Portland stone column.

Designed to put the visitor in mind of a ‘bird cage’ the new stainless steel viewing gallery, designed by Julian Harrap Architects, replaces the previous heavy mild steel structure dating from the 1950s. The first ‘cage’ had been installed during the 1800s for safety reasons, and the design had changed little in the intervening period.

Installation of the cage required several streets in the city to be closed off, a 100 tonne crane and near perfect weather conditions, as the balustrade and framework were winched into position in sections and welded together in situ. A 2mm steel cable mesh was later stretched across the framework, and then woven onto 8mm rods welded to the structural steelwork.   

Echoing the elegant curves of the column itself, the new cage bows gently outwards from the black limestone viewing platform, curving inwards again high above the visitors head to fit snugly against the stonework below the iconic gilded orb. Whilst the lightweight mesh all but disappears as the visitor looks through it, it is sturdy enough to withstand people leaning against it, pulling on it or even trying to cut through it!

The top of the Monument is now visible from the ground as the scaffold is being gradually lowered. CWO’s restoration works continue to the lower level stonework and that inside the column.

The installation was featured in several publications, and was also filmed by the BBC who broadcast the feature later that evening.

Images of the project supplied by Sue Salton Photography