The Application of Wayss' Rohrzellendecke System in the Kongresshaus Zurich (1937-1939)
| Autor: | Fleming, Patrick Hugh |
|---|---|
| Přispěvatelé: | Campbell, James W.P., Baker, Nina, Driver, Michael, Heaton, Michael, Kuban, Sabine, Tutton, Michael, Wall, Christine, Yeomans, David |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Water, Doors, and Buildings: Studies in the History of Construction. The Proceedings of the Sixth Conference of the Construction History Society |
| Popis: | This article addresses the construction history of the Kongresshaus (1937-39) in Zurich, Switzerland by Haefeli Moser Steiger Architects (HMS), focusing on the various uses of what is known in German as the Rohrzellendecke system. The system is composed of prefabricated hollow bodies or cellular tubes (Rohrzellen), which are made of wooden frames that are wrapped in a thin matting of woven reeds or canes, and fastened and tensioned with steel wires. These hollow bodies were used primarily as formwork for ribbed reinforced concrete slabs, cast in-situ. The German engineer Gustav Adolf Wayss developed the system in 1907, while archival photographs indicate that it was used in Switzerland as early as ca. 1930 for the Neubühl housing project, also by Haefeli, Moser, and Steiger with other architects. The article presents how Wayss’ Rohrzellendecke system was used in a variety of applications in the Kongresshaus. For example, in straightforward ribbed slabs, spanning in one direction over relatively short distance of ca. 4-5m, as well as significantly longer one-way spans of ca. 12m, but also much more geometrically-complex structures, featuring curved surfaces not unlike those seen in mushroom slabs. Detailed photographs of these structures are presented, as the slabs are presently exposed due to an ongoing and extensive restoration project. The wood frames and reed mats are clearly visible and accessible, as they were left in place and never removed during the original Kongresshaus construction from 1938. A later extension to the Kongresshaus in ca. 1955 also used the Wayss system, but in a slightly more efficient and carefully constructed way, thereby offering an interesting point of comparison between the original construction and slightly later alterations. The article further draws on Wayss’ original publication outlining the system, and his patents filed in Germany, Switzerland, and England. These patents describe not only the hollow bodies themselves, but also the technique for weaving the reed and cane mats, and the novel machine used for manufacturing the hollow bodies. Examining these historical documents provides a clear account of the original development of Wayss’ system, and how it provided a simple but highly standardized and efficient product for saving material in early forms of reinforced concrete construction. Together with recent on-site photographs from the Kongresshaus in Zurich, this article further highlights how the system was later adapted for new structural applications, with its use and scope significantly expanded compared to Wayss’ original intentions. The article finally brings to light an example of how modern European architecture could employ new forms of rationalized concrete construction and early forms of construction technology, while still relying on rather primitive and traditional materials like wood and simple reeds or canes. Water, Doors, and Buildings: Studies in the History of Construction. The Proceedings of the Sixth Conference of the Construction History Society ISBN:978-0-9928751-5-2 |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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