Wind load acting at a right angle to the line of glazing over the centre
half of the posts is resisted primarily by a semi-circular horizontal tube,
anchored at each end. It functions either as an arch that works in com-
pression, or as half a tension ring, depending on the wind direction. The
arch, together with its stabilizing ties and connecting members back to
the steel posts, adds another layer of structure that contributes com-
plexity and interest to the interior space. An alternative to the steel
tubular arch might have been to significantly increase the depth of the
posts so they could span the whole height of the wall.
The roundedness of Pequot vernacular construction also finds expres-
sion in the roof structure. First, a bowstring truss spans the Gathering
Space to support the radiating roof beams, and secondly, the two truss
bottom-chords are curved in plan. Structural form is therefore very
well integrated with architectural form which itself draws upon indigen-
ous construction forms.
The following three examples illustrate consonant architectural and
structural forms in the context of irregular architectural forms. When
viewed from outside, the Säntispark Health and Leisure Centre, St
Gallen, appears to have been distorted after construction. Was it ori-
ginally configured differently in plan but then somehow moulded into its
final curved and rounded forms, wrinkling and creasing the roof in the
process (Fig. 3.33)? The ground floor plan and structural layout respond
to the building form and function (Fig. 3.34). An essentially regular
38 STRUCTURE AS ARCHITECTURE
▲ 3.33 Säntispark Health and Leisure Centre, St Gallen, Switzerland, Raush, Ladner,
Clerici, 1986. Creased and sagging roof.
