Background
Standing in the grounds of Dudley Zoo, the basement of Dudley Castle is the unique location for an exhibition which explores the castle's turbulent past. The Dudley Castle Interpretation Centre, officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 1994, was designed by architects at Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and was completed following the award of grants by the European Regional Development Fund and Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council.
The materials within the exhibition and the torturous escape routes caused particular concern for the safety of visitors, leading to discussions between the council and fire authorities.
As a result a smoke control system that exhausts smoke and fumes rapidly from the area was made a safety requirement for the project.
The Building
The impressive medieval castle was founded in 1071 by the French knight Ansculf and was fortified with stone in 1130. John Dudley, who eventually became the Duke of Northumberland, took ownership in 1530. It remained in use until 1750 when it was gutted by a mighty fire that burnt for 3 days, leaving the castle in ruins. The Earls of Dudley retained ownership until the 1930s.
The castle which has three storey high exterior walls was left with no internal floors remaining. The restoration of the floor to the Great Hall recreated the basement which is now used for the exhibition, as well as giving visitors access to the Great Chamber complex and Great Hall.
The Colt Solution
The exhibition area is divided into several smaller rooms and this necessitated the installation of a carefully designed, but unobtrusive smoke clearance system to assist escape in the event of fire. Smoke extract is provided by ducted Colt Liberator powered extract units which are concealed internally by a Universal Louvre screen.
To provide inlet air in the event of fire, Colt Kameleon glazed natural ventilators are installed into the castle walls.
The Kameleons are also used for day-to-day ventilation, as well as improving the light levels in the basement. The Kameleons are painted to blend with the limestone walls and are fitted with stained glass.
Designing a smoke control system for Dudley Castle was, to say the least, an unusual challenge.
