Structure In Works of Renzo Piano & Richard Rogers A Monograph Published by Calvin Hickey 1
Table of Contents Centre Pompidou.............................................................4 The Menil Collection........................................................8 Thomson Optronics Factory............................................12 Inmos Processor Factory................................................16 The Milennium Dome....................................................20
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Introduction This is a visual monograph diving into Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano’s use of structure in their projects around the world. Both of these world class architects use the distinctive method of exposing the raw materials in their projects to show the skeleton of the building. This uniqueness is explored throughout this monograph using multiple pictures to immerse the reader into each and every site as if they were there in real life.
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Centre Pompidou
Paris, France 1977
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The barren pipes, scaffolding, and especially the main “staircase tube” showcase Piano and Rogers’ use of showing the skeleton of the building.
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In addition to the exposed metal framework, the exposed pipes also signify the uniqueness of the structure.
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In this section view, you can see the “staircase tube on the pedestrian side of the building as well as the structure inside the building.
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The Menil Collection
Renzo Piano Houston, Texas 1987 8
Louvers are lined around the entire main building of this renowned art gallery. These louvers allow sunlight to beam down on the ground below.
The structure of the louvers use a single material; concrete that is attatched to steel I-beam collumns.
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The idea of the Menil Collection was for the main building to look smaller on the outside while he inside would be much larger.
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Most of the Menil Collection is illuminated by sunlight, however, in some places where the sunlight does not shine, artificial lighting brightens up the rest of the interior. 11
Thomson Optronics Factory Renzo Piano Yvelines, Italy 1990 12
Notice the curvature of the pavillion; how it’s supported by multiple steel pieces (right). Also, the unit to the left has these steel supports as well adding to the bare materials exposed (above).
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As shown in the image above and on the next page, the curvature of the canopy isn’t multiple materials but really comprised of reinforced steel and th steel supports that hold the strucutre upright. 14
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Inmos Processor Factory Richard Rogers Newport, Wales, UK 1982 16
The pipes (pictured left) are completely exposed, revealing the innerds of the structure. The pipes shown here (top) are exposed as well along the facade of the factory. 17
As you can see in the drawing above, the exposed cables, pipes and structural beams. 18
These large blue pipes run throughout the rooftop of the factory compleely unsheltered and open to the air.
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The Milennium Dome Richard Rogers London, UK 1999 20
The dome was built on the 300 acre site witith a diameter of 365 meters, purposely signifying the amount of days in a year.
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Comprised of a teflon-coated PTFE fabric that gives the dome a futuristic look. The panels, showcase the lattitude and longitude lines to signify the calendar events held in the space. 22
The dome features twelve of these steel masts at one hundred meters high which support a network of high tensible cables. These masts appear both in the interior and the exterior of the dome. 23
Citations
Bryant-Mole, Bart. “AD Classics: Millennium Dome / Richard Rogers (RSHP).” ArchDaily. ArchDaily, January 24, 2017. https://www.archdaily.com/793706/ad-classics-millennium-dome-rsh-plus-p.
Gianakos, Jules. “AD Classics: Menil Collection / Renzo Piano.” ArchDaily. ArchDaily, September 28, 2011. https://www.archdaily.com/171974/ad-classics-menil-collection-renzo-piano.
“Inmos Microprocessor Factory.” Inmos Microprocessor Factory - Designing Buildings Wiki. Accessed April 7, 2020. https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Inmos_Microprocessor_Factory.
“Millennium Dome.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, March 13, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Dome.
Powell, Kenneth. Richard Rogers. London: Phaidon, 1999.
Piano, Renzo. Renzo Piano and Building Workshop: Buildings and Projects, 1971-1989. New York: Rizzoli, 1989.
Rogers Stirk Harbour. “Inmos Microprocessor Factory.” Rogers Stirk Harbour Partners. Accessed April 7, 2020. https://www.rsh-p.com/projects/inmos-microprocessor-factory/.
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“Renzo Piano Building Workshop - Projects - By Type - Thomson Optronics Factory: Piano’s.” Pinterest. Accessed April 7, 2020. https://www.pinterest.co.uk/ pin/358176976586685521/.
Rogers Stirk Harbour. “Centre Pompidou.” Rogers Stirk Harbour Partners. Accessed April 7, 2020. https://www.rsh-p.com/projects/centre-pompidou/.
Stott, Rory. “AD Classics: Inmos Microprocessor Factory / Richard Rogers Partnership.” ArchDaily. ArchDaily, July 23, 2013. https://www.archdaily.com/406019/ad-classics-inmos-microprocessor-factory-richard-rogers-partnership.
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