377 MASERATI MUSEUM 2004

The Maserati Museum nestles in the grounds of the turn of the century Enzo Ferrari house in Modena, Italy - a submerged, soft blue form appearing to grow out of the surrounding landscape. The house being modest in scale has determined the height of the museum. A vast wall of curved, inclined glass draws you into the space, the curved plane bisected by fins inspired by the radiator of a Maserati. North facing roof lights flood the interior volume with diffused white light. Inside the walls and floor of the museum, rectangular in plan, forms a basin, finished in fine white terrazzo. This strong and embracing space provides the perfect environment in which to display the achievement and finesse of the Maserati collection. Completion Contract Value Area Client Concept Engineer Engineer Quantity Surveyor 2009 £7 million 4,500m² Fondazione Casa Natale Enzo Ferrari Arup Politecnica Politecnica

407 NATIONAL LIBRARY PRAGUE 2007

The New National Library of the Czech Republic is situated within a large green site on the Letna plateau in Prague. The 40.000 sqm building is placed on a white unpolished marble platform, with mirror finished stainless steel wings lifted up the perimeter edges to reflect the building from different angles. The architecture of the proposed building is a three dimensional object shaped to minimize the volume and to extend the views over the surrounding tree level. Its unique form and curvature is a reference to baroque buildings in Prague. The skin is covered with champagne coloured anodised aluminium tiles fading from dark at the bottom to light at the top. Generous levels of natural light in all public spaces are provided by circular areas of glazing distributed over the external skin. Special features inside the building include the top level viewing platform and café with spectacular vistas over Prague, comfortable and colourful reading rooms, the first level ‘street’ which continues the public realm through ramps and stairs from the street and park inside the building, and the educational viewing well to the automated book storage. The estimated volume of 10 million books stored underground are distributed by an Automated Storage and Retrieval System and reach the reader in less than 5 minutes. At the day of its completion in 2011, the New National Library of the Czech Republic will be one of the most modern Libraries in the world. Client The Czech National Library Architect Future Systems Structural Engineers Ove Arup Quantity Surveyors Savant International Artist Vaclav Cigler

135 BLOB 1985

Competition proposal for an office building on the grand buildings site of Trafalgar Square. The curved geometry is a product of the site plan and setback angles. An extensive pedestrian area is located at street level together with shops, a restaurant is located at roof deck level. The building structure comprises a dual 3-dimensional internally stiffened skin which fully encloses the building from street to roof deck level. The structural skin supports a deep truss roof deck which provides suspension capability around the perimeter of the inner edges of alternate office floors using hangars. Additional intermediate floors are suspended from the alternate floors. Large circular windows perforate the skin at intervals to provide view and outside contact. The surface is finished in white ceramic tiles with recessed rainwater channels. Photovoltaic cells can be integrated into the exterior wall to help supply the building energy needs. Structural Engineer Frank Newby/Samuely & Partners

Engineers, Architects Eye Future of Glass Design

Sept 28, 2007
By: Paul Rosta, Senior Associate Editor

For many buildings, glass makes up the most striking and visible part of a structure’s exterior. And as owners and tenants in office buildings and other property types seek attractive views, energy efficiency and security, glass engineering and design is taking center stage.

Although the role of glass is well established in building design, innovations are also changing the role of glass and providing developers with more options. “From an engineering point of view, we have more and more architects coming to us using unique solutions with glass,” said Richard Tomasetti, chairman of Thornton Tomasetti Inc., a renowned New York City-based engineering firm. Tomasetti spoke to CPN Thursday, a day before he was scheduled to moderate a panel this morning during a symposium on engineering glass at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation in Manhattan.

One of the biggest changes that may surprise even seasoned developers is that glass is increasingly pulling its weight when it comes to holding itself up. As Tomasetti explained, “The glass is doing more work as a structural element, and taking more of the stresses and strains than it did.” Engineering strategies range from a tennis racket-like system of cables that holds the panels in a grid to glass mullions or gaskets that grab panels at the corners.

As a result of these innovations, Tomasetti believes that glass design is evolving more toward lighter weight and minimal support structures. Future projects will continue to build on recent examples like the Midtown Ferry Terminal, a $56 million project that opened two years ago on the Hudson River in Manhattan. For that project, Thornton Tomasetti designed a framework of structural steel tube that used finger-like elements to grab glass panels at the corners.

Whatever the method may be, the goal is to reduce the weight of the curtain wall and the need for elements that hold glass panels together. To rebuild the Winter Garden, the public space at the World Financial Center that was severely damaged in the 2001 terrorist assault on the World Trade Center, Thornton Tomasetti developed a support system of glass mullions to enhance visibility.

Going forward, sustainability goals will help drive the frontiers of glass technology, noted Jeffrey Ng, an architect and vice president for Thornton Tomasetti who advises clients on curtainwall strategies. One leading trend is the use of triple-coated panels that significant cut down on the level of heat entering a building by reflecting infrared light. The coatings and tinted glass also slightly reduce the amount of light and can command a premium of a few dollars per square foot for the panels, but can also result in big long-term energy savings, he said. Another promising technology uses a laminate to transform a glass curtainwall panel into a photovoltaic cell. Ng cited the example of a commercial building under construction in Guangzhou, China.

mpressive paper work

Published by editor June 1st, 2007 in strange art and design. 0 Comments

An interesting form of origami coming from the hands of a London artist. Richard Sweeney’s first impressive work was a real-sized man, made out of cardboard and adhesive. This paper sculpture was fully articulated. An impassioned fever of paper modeling plus a lot of talent are the secrets of Sweeney’s amazing work.

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