PRECEDENT STUDIES - 1 SHELL STRUCTURES (SURFACE ACTIVE)

Course: Advanced Structures - Instructor: Greg Otto STEFANO PASSERI

TAKESHI HOSAKA - HOTO FUDO NOODLE RESTAURANT, JAPAN (2010)

THIN CONCRETE SHELL

This igloo-like noodle restaurant near Mount Fuji, Japan is by studio Takeshi Hosaka Architects. Called Hoto Fudo, the building allows air from outdoors to circulate through large openings in the walls, apart from in the coldest season when curved acrylic sliding doors are used. The design allows rain to fall at the edges of the interior, fog to enter through the openings and wind to circulate under the reinforced concrete shell. The architectural goal is to produce a seamless interior/exterior transition - the main concept behind its design to blend in the surrounding open landscape. It is designed by means of polygon mesh.

KEY INFORMATION
Structure: RC Site: 2493.82 m2 Building area: 733.98 m2 Floor area ratio: 726.30 m2 Building height: 7460 mm Shell Thickness: 180 mm Max span: 25m No. of floors: 1 Floor Building function: A local traditional food restaurant

PRECEDENT STUDIES - 2 SHELL STRUCTURES (SURFACE ACTIVE)

Course: Advanced Structures - Instructor: Greg Otto STEFANO PASSERI

LE CORBUSIER - PHILIPS PAVILION, BRUSSELS (1958)

SPATIALIZED SOUND
The pavilion is a cluster of nine hyperbolic paraboloid in which music was spatialized by sound projectionists using telephone dials. The speakers were set into the walls, which were coated in asbestos, creating a textured look to the walls. Edgar Varse drew up a detailed spatialization scheme for the entire piece which made great use of the physical layout of the pavilion, especially the height of it. The asbestos hardened the walls which created a cavernous acoustic.

KEY INFORMATION
Structure: asbestos coated concrete and steel structure Shell Volume: 4000m3 Floor area 1000 m2 (40x25m2) Maximum height: 22m Shell Thickness: 50mm prefab concrete panels (1.5m2) Building function: 1958 Brussels Expo Pavilion

PRECEDENT STUDIES - 1 TENSILE STRUCTURES (FORM ACTIVE)

Course: Advanced Structures - Instructor: Greg Otto STEFANO PASSERI

NUMEN GROUP - TAPE INSTALLATIONS, BERLIN/MELBOURNE/VIENNA (2008-2010)

UNUSUAL MATERIAL
Numen have been involved in large-scale experimental installation for a few years One of the series they have produced lately consists of inhabitable structures entirely made out of common tape. The largest of this type is the one built for the Fed Squares Western Terrace in Melbourne. The full 16 meters stretch of this iteration is the greatest span traversed by a Tape Installation thus far. The structure had to be constructed with the help of special platforms as it projects from the external walls of the Fed Squares SBS building at the height of 6 meters above ground. Its more slender and tenuous, distinctly willowy form is dictated by the specifics of the bridged span and setting.

KEY INFORMATION
Structure: woven tape 700 rolls/45km Max span: 16m Maximum height: 22m Thickness: under 3mm Building function: Art installation

PRECEDENT STUDIES - 2 TENSILE STRUCTURES (FORM ACTIVE)

Course: Advanced Structures - Instructor: Greg Otto STEFANO PASSERI

MICHAEL HOPKINS - SCHLUMBERGER CENTRE, CAMBRIDGE (UK) (1985)

OUTER MEMBRANE
The research building for Schlumberger in Cambridge, England, completed in 1984, represents the first large-scale example of the use of a Teflon coated, glass-fibre membrane in the UK. Although the setting of the building is far from urban, the project contributed to the development of tensile architecture by successfully demonstrating how a membrane envelope could be combined with more conventional, rectilinear construction. The brief required a facility for research into aspects of oil exploration, to include a drilling test station, laboratories, offices and staff facilities. The building also had to provide opportunities for contact between scientist and research staff and provide spaces for meetings with university personnel.

KEY INFORMATION
Structure: cable-suspended membrane structure Membrane-covered area: 2165 m2 Area: 5644 m2 Height of masts: 22m Building function: Research Centre