| Popis: |
The new Piotrkowska Street tram stop canopy is a striking and elegant addition to the historical city centre of Łodź (Poland), a town once referred to as the “Polish Manchester” due to the rapid growth in industry growth during the 19 th century. The canopy, inspired by Art Deco style, was imagined as a steel structure incorporating an intricate geometry and featuring a roof covered with panels of coloured glass. The paper describes the evolution of the project and explains the design process involving 3d parametric modelling and optimization of both the geometry and materials. It shows the challenges of the structural design originating from two opposing interests – the Architect's aesthetical vision and the Contractors requirement for cost efficiency. To help realize the Architect's complex vision and deliver an optimized final product BuroHappold Engineering came up with an innovative solution, for which the outcome was a change of heavy glass panels to unconventional single layer ETFE. The paper explains the pre-stressed foil's benefits and the risks related to its application in a climate where snow load is often a governing case. The paper also highlights the advantages of parametrical design techniques; its flexibility and its consistent accuracy. It shows how the design process can be time efficient, and how inevitable changes can be implemented almost effortlessly even into models which are derived from complex geometry. |
