Buildings (Jul 2022)

The Canopy: A Lightweight Spatial Installation Informed by Graphic Statics

  • Shuaizhong Wang,
  • Federico Bertagna,
  • Patrick Ole Ohlbrock,
  • Davide Tanadini

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12071009
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 7
p. 1009

Abstract

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This paper illustrates the design and fabrication process of the temporary installation The Canopy, developed as part of the fib Symposium on Conceptual Design of Structures 2021. The geometry of the perforated hanging membrane that forms The Canopy is the result of seamless integration between the disciplines of architecture and structural design, which was one of the driving inputs for the entire process. Particularly, the use of geometry-based models and graphic statics allowed activating the interplay between these disciplines. This was the key to balancing the relationship between architectural spaces and structural requirements, and to informing the multifaceted design exploration of The Canopy from conceptual design to construction.

Keywords