Our new Cafe in the trees extends out into Whitworth park, and at the far end cantilevers, beyond the end wall of the Learning Studio beneath, to form a sheltered area at the edge of the Art Garden.

Such a cantilever is a challenge for the design team, but one enthusiastically taken on by our structural engineers, Ramboll UK. My understanding of the design solution needed to produce this perfectly horizontal cantilevered space is that the steel frame and concrete slab of the cafe floor are initially constructed in such a way as to tilt slightly upwards. A load is then placed on the end of the upper part of the cantilever, in order to deflect it down. Tests over recent weeks show the process is conforming to expectations, and so a further load to match the final planned calculation of 8 tonnes is now required. At a future date…