Fort Regent Leisure Centre, Le Mont de la Ville, St. Helier: Notice of Intention to List Roof

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A decision made 21 June 2013:

Decision ref:	MD–PE–2013-0060
Subject:	Notice of Intent to List: Fort Regent - Leisure Centre Roof, Le Mont de la Ville, St. Helier.
HER reference	HE1917		Current status:	Potential Listed Building Grade 2
DS title:	DS - Intent to List: Fort Regent - Leisure Centre Roof, St. Helier.
DS author:	Director: Policy, Projects and the Historic Environment
DS date:	19/06/2013		DS Status:	Public
Written report title:	WR – Listed Buildings and Places: Fort Regent - Leisure Centre Roof, Le Mont de la Ville, St. Helier.
WR author:	Head of Historic Buildings, Jersey Heritage
WR date	13/06/2013		WR Status:	Public
Oral rapporteur:	Head of Historic Buildings, Jersey Heritage
Decision(s):	The Minister for Planning and Environment expressed an intent to List the building and/or place specified above at Grade 2
Reason(s) for decision:	The special interest of the building and/or place specified above, as defined and in the schedule and relative to the published criteria for selection, justifies its inclusion on the List of Sites of Special Interest as a Listed Building or Place in accordance with the provisions and purposes of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 [as assessed by the Head of Historic Buildings at Jersey Heritage and the Listing Advisory Group]; and
Legal and resource implications:	Article 51 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 enables the Minister to include on the List of Sites of Special Interest those buildings and places that the Minister is satisfied has public importance by reason of the special archaeological, architectural, artistic, historical, scientific or traditional interest that attaches to the building or place. Article 52 of the same Law requires the Minister to serve Notice of his intention to do so. There are no additional resource implications of this decision.
Action required:	Serve Notice of Intent to add the building and/or place specified above to the List.
Signature:
Name and position:	Deputy RC Duhamel Minister for Planning and Environment
Date signed:		Date of decision (If different to Date Signed):			17 June 2013

Fort Regent Leisure Centre, Le Mont de la Ville, St. Helier: Notice of Intention to List Roof

Listed buildings and places

Les bâtisses et endraits historique

Fort Regent - Leisure Centre Roof, Le Mont de la Ville, St. Helier.

This report has been prepared by Jersey Heritage as part of its responsibility under a Service Level Agreement to provide reports and recommendations to the Minister for Planning and Environment on the architectural, historical, archaeological and other significance of buildings and places.

The assessment undertaken and the recommendation given in relation to the above building and place is made under the auspices of Article 51 of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law, 2002; and the criteria for the listing and grading of heritage assets adopted and published by the Minister for Planning and Environment.

The report also includes the views and advice offered by the Listing Advisory Group in relation to the assessment of this building and place.

Author of report: Roger Hills BA(Hons) MA DipBldgCons (RICS) IHBC - Head of Historic Buildings

Date of report: 12/06/2013

File ref: HE1917

Special interests of the site

Architectural interest

The roof over the parade ground was completed in 1974. Built just before the oil crisis, it was the largest roof of its type in western Europe at the time and has few, if any, parallels. The roof is supported on free-standing columns, partly designed by British Steel and partly by the Consulting Engineers, Messrs. Edwards & Blackie. The roof is a major technological feat of its time. It is one of three buildings featured on a series of stamps issued in 1987 on the theme of Modern Architecture.

An irregular, wavy roof with a domed section at the centre. A long coffin shaped structure rising above the original ramparts of the fort. The roof material is white corrugated metal sheeting with areas of patent glazing to N and S ends. The walls are formed of a deep fascia of corrugated metal sheeting running above patent glazing.

The irregular shaped fort parade has been divided into three major sections: two open areas with undulating roof at the narrow ends and a central rotunda hall with domed roof between. The 'tent' roof: portal frames of varying span, running E/W, support curved lattice beams which carry a tent-like roof of corrugated steel decking. The stanchions of the portal frames are triangular in section, rising from a point at ground level to a wide haunch. The narrow N and S ends rise with areas of patent glazing; hip girders and space frames are supported on a portal frame and a central pylon. The ceiling has a checkerboard of white panels fixed to the underside of decking. The dome: 51m clear span, 6.7m rise of dome. 36 vertical braced cantilever frames are positioned around the rotunda perimeter with a ring beam at the base of a quadrilateral framed grid dome.

Scientific interest

Calculations of the domed structure extended knowledge of the behaviour of braced shells. This structure demonstrates innovation in technology, material and technique.

Legal reasons for listing

Architectural
Scientific

Statement of significance

The fort roof structure is an ambitious and ingenious solution for the problems of the site: irregular shape, necessity of large open spaces, wind loads, limited access, relationship to the existing structure. Calculations of the domed structure extended knowledge of the behaviour of braced shells. This structure demonstrates innovation in technology, material and technique. Also of note is the way in which the structure was designed to fill in a space defined by the existing fort walls. The roof structure (but not interior fit out) is listed for its architectural and scientific interest.

Advice offered by MLAG (and others if stated)

In a report (2000) prepared for Planning & Environment on Twentieth Century Buildings in Jersey, a specialist listing inspector for English Heritage described the 1974 roof structure as an “extraordinary structure…of national importance, it would qualify for listing on the mainland”. The Conservation Statement for Fort Regent (2006) prepared for Education, Sport & Culture describes the modern roof over the parade ground as of “considerable significance”, in a wave form which was a feature of roof design in the later years of the 20th century. The 2012 assessment, undertaken by a resurvey team on behalf of Jersey Heritage, and in consultation with Dr Elain Harwood (an acknowledged international expert on 20th century architecture and Trustee of the Twentieth Century Society) concluded that the roof is of architectural and scientific interest as set out above.

At their meeting on 10/06/2013 MLAG agreed with the Jersey Heritage recommendation that the building be Listed as grade 3.

Jersey Heritage recommendation

Listed Building Grade 3

Attachments

Schedule