Maggie’s Centre.
A circle of daylight.

A bespoke 1,800 mm circular rooflight, shaped to complement the curved architecture of the Maggie’s Centre extension in Cheltenham.

MAGGIE’S CENTRE · CHELTENHAM

LOCATIONCheltenham, Gloucestershire

SYSTEM1,800 mm circular rooflight

SERVICEDesign, manufacture & installation

THE PROJECT

A rooflight that belongs to the building.

The extension at Maggie’s Centre in Cheltenham, designed by Metropolitan Workshop, uses curved forms in its roof and interior. A circular rooflight was chosen to continue that geometry rather than introduce a rectangular interruption.

Overhead Glazing designed, manufactured and installed the bespoke unit. The 1,800 mm diameter rooflight combines a solar-control outer pane with a toughened, heat-soak-tested laminated inner pane, within a formed and welded aluminium frame.

ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT

The circular glazing follows the architectural language of the curved building and landscaped roof.

PROJECT BRIEF

Follow the curve. Keep the sky.

The design needed to work from two viewpoints: the circular opening seen from inside and the rooflight sitting within the landscaped roof outside.

The requirement

Introduce overhead daylight in a form that complements the curved architecture of the new extension.

The response

Create a bespoke circular unit with a formed and welded, powder-coated aluminium perimeter frame.

The result

A clear architectural focal point, with the frame and glazing considered alongside the curved internal ceiling.

The circular reveal frames the sky from the interior.

GLASS & FRAME

Safety and solar control in one specification.

The solar-control outer pane addresses incoming solar energy, while the heat-soak-tested toughened laminated inner pane provides the specified overhead glazing build-up. These are separate functions within the sealed unit.

The frame was formed and welded to follow the circular opening, then powder coated. The diameter, cavity and laminated inner glass were coordinated as one assembly; the stated diameter should not be read as a clear-opening dimension.

Diameter

1,800 mm stated diameter

Outer pane

Solar-control glass

Cavity

14 mm

Inner pane

13.5 mm HST toughened laminate

Frame

Formed, welded aluminium

FROM DESIGN TO INSTALLATION

Coordinate the curve from both sides.

Read the architecture

The curved building and ceiling establish the shape and visual intent of the rooflight.

Set the glass build-up

Solar control and the overhead laminated inner pane are considered together for the opening.

Form the perimeter

The aluminium sections are shaped and welded to create the circular frame.

Complete the interface

The roof-side detail and internal reveal need to meet the same approved geometry.

THE OUTCOME

A deliberate shape, rather than a standard opening.

The project shows how a circular rooflight can reinforce the character of a building. The curved ceiling leads the eye towards the sky, while the external frame sits within the roof landscape.

For a similar healthcare or community building, the shape is only one part of the discussion. Glazing performance, the internal finish and access for installation all need to be reviewed around the proposed opening.

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