The Requirement
Iona Abbey on the beautiful Hebridean island of Iona has a long history of welcoming guests for the day or for longer retreats and would like to be able to extend hospitality into the winter months with improved heating, insulation and facilities to suit people with disabilities. Since 2018, the 13th Century Benedictine Abbey has been under refurbishment, a £3.5m project funded largely by donations from across the world to The Iona Community.
The Abbey has an artistic heritage as well as a religious one and houses Scotland’s finest collection of early medieval carved stones and crosses. Colin McNeish of WHAM Architecture has reflected this tradition by using the symbol of wild geese which form part of the Iona Community’s logo as inspiration for canopies over the entrance to the refectory, combining an artistic influence with the functional aspects of refurbishment. The architectural metalwork was constructed by Metalwork UK, specialists in structural steel and heritage projects, and an authentic aged, weathered and welcoming appearance in both colour and texture was envisaged.
A change of plan
The designers’ original concept for the canopies and the mezzanine infills was to use Corten steel and Corten steel mesh. Metalwork UK advised that in an external environment, rainwater would cause run off and staining of the flagstones on the pathway and anything else under the canopies. Aluminium and stainless steel were discussed but both options were overly expensive and had their own disadvantages. The marine environment within which the Abbey is located made it imperative to select a metal that could be well protected against corrosion and wind-born particle abrasion and mild steel was the favoured option.
