Capel Soar
Children and adults can work up there in total confidence – it’s far safer than working off a ladder or tallescope
Five Cablenet tensioned wire grid frames, each measuring 3 x 11 metres, were installed in the £2.4 million refurbishment of Capel Soar – an old Baptist Chapel dating back to 1831/32 – multi-purpose arts, entertainment and learning space at Tonypandy in the heart of the Welsh Valleys.
The five Cablenets all butt up to one another and are constructed from 3mm diameter 7x9 steel wire rope. They’re capable of taking point loads of 250Kgs and a distributed load of 360 Kg (four persons).
The Cablenets have been fitted into the Chapel’s original timber beams, and saddle mounted onto the incumbent timber trusses. The method of fixing was quite challenging - being old and charismatic, none of the building was level or straight! A Slingco crew of four completed the installation over two weeks, with the Cablenets built in situ on scaffold platforms and woven onto the steel work.
Slingco’s Nick Dykins comments,. “It was a pleasure to be involved in the Capel Soar project. There is a genuine enthusiasm from the clients and design team who see the project very much as a community asset. Installing into old buildings is always rewarding, especially when you compare ‘before’ to ‘after’ ”.
- Architect: ETP Projects, Cardiff
- Main contractor: Knox & Wells
- Theatre consultant: Illusion International
