STRUCTURAL DESIGN FOR ARCHITECTURE

Structural Design for Architecture

44

Fig. 2.10 Structural plan of the Florey Building, Oxford,

England, 1971. lames Stirling, architect, F.J.Samuely &

Partners, structural engineers. The structural plan of this

building shows the layout of the primary elements, which

are beam/column frameworks of in situ reinforced concrete.

These carry a one-way-spanning floor system. As in the

case of the Willis, Faber and Dumas building a complex

form has been achieved by the straightforward adaptation

of a basic structural arrangement (see Fig 4.52).

cross-section favoured the use of reinforced

concrete rather than steel.

The choice of a beam/column framework

rather than a flat-slab structure was sensible for

two reasons. Firstly, the depth of the building is

that of a single structural bay. The structural

benefit of continuity over several structural

bays, which is desirable for the efficient working

of a flat-slab structure, was therefore not avail-

able. The crescent-shaped plan was also

problematic in this respect because it reduced

the level of structural continuity which could be

achieved in the along-building direction.

Secondly, the cross-section of the building, and

in particular the outward cant of the rear wall,

favoured the use of rigid frames consisting of

wide columns and deep beams. A beam/column

framework in reinforced concrete was therefore

the logical choice of structure for this building.

The crescent-shaped plan was produced by

simply distorting the basic plan-form of the

one-way-spanning frame (Fig. 4.52) to create a

Fig. 2.11 New City Library, Munster, Germany, 1993.

Architekturburo Bolles-Wilson, architects, Buro Thomas,

Buro Menke & Kohler, structural engineers. The photo-

graph shows the edge of one of the two parts of this build-

ing. The main part of the building is to the right and has a

reinforced concrete frame structure. One of the lines of

vertical structure is seen and it will be noted that this is, in

effect, a loadbearing wall which has been punctured in

places by large openings to leave pillars of varying cross-

sectional shape. The non-structural cladding wall seen on

the left of the photograph is supported by a lean-to

arrangement of cranked laminated timber elements.

[Photo: E. & F. McLachlan]

structural plan which was in fact an alternating

series of triangles and rectangles. The arrange-

ment, and in particular the triangular parts of

the plan, were more easily constructed in

reinforced concrete than would have been

possible with steel. The mouldability of

concrete was also exploited to create the

distinctive cross-section of the building. Its

durability allowed the elimination of additional

finishing materials over most of the structural

surfaces.