Structural Design for Architecture
116
Fig. 4.20 Vitra Design Museum, Basel, Switzerland,
1987-89, Frank Gehry, architect. This highly sculptural form
could only have been realised in reinforced concrete
[Photo: E. and F. Mclachlan].Reinforced concrete has been used principally
in the form of skeleton frameworks where it
has allowed architects to exploit the opportu-
nities articulated in Le Corbusier's 'Five points
towards a new architecture' of 1926, in particu-
lar, the '... free designing of the ground plan ...'
and the '... free designing of the facade ...'.
Examples of this type of building can be found
in every decade of the Modern period, from Le
Corbusier and Gropius to Foster and Meier. In
most cases the relationship between structure
and architecture has been one of 'structure
accepted' (see Section 2.2) in which the
reinforced concrete armature of the building,
though playing a significant role in determin-
ing the form and general arrangement, was notemphasised in the aesthetic treatment, which
was primarily, if not exclusively, orthogonal.
Some notable exceptions to the rectilinear
geometry which characterised the mainstream
Modern Movement have also been shown. In
these the mouldability of concrete was
exploited to produce distinctive irregular or
curvilinear structural shapes. This type of
building, which has become more common in
recent decades as a result of changing archi-
tectural fashion, illustrates better the full
potential of reinforced concrete as a structural
material.4.2.2 The technical performance of concrete
as a structural material4.2.2.1 Introduction
The technical advantages and disadvantages of
concrete in relation to those of alternative
materials are reviewed in this section. These