3.2. STATE OF ART
3.2.1. MARRAKESH UMBRELLA
Year: 2011
Context: workshop
University: Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design
and HFT Stuttgart.
Description: the project was comisioned with the aim to devel-
oped shading solutions for an outdoor plaza space at an architec-
ture school in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Software: Sofistik FEM (Figure A11).
Form-finding: the structure has a funnel shaped that comes
from the topological arrangement between the membrane and the
beams. One restrict to each other working in conjunction. Con-
trolling the stability of the beam during form-finding is difficult.
Structural behavior: the pre-stress of the membrane has a direct
influence on the curvature of the bending beam elements. This
has a direct result in the minimization of anchoring forces to the
surrounding buildings. The pre-stress was inducted with a special
pulling device that could be attached to the arm end. The beams
are attaching eccentric to the surface, this provided more stiffness
behaviour.Through the active bending structural principles it is
possible to create this kind of roofing. It is clear that the system is
already at its maximum scale. Larger scales could only be realized
by changing the topology through adding more elements. the
cantilevering conditions of the bending-active beams, the system
shows very high deflections, especially for wind pressure load
cases [Lienhard, 2014].
Figure A9: “Marrakesh umbrella”. Year: 2011
Figure A10: influence of the beam element stiffness on form finding result
3.2.2. MOOM PAVILION
Year: 2011
Context: Workshop
University: Tokyo University of Science and C+A
Description: experimental design and innovative topology. Novel
structural skin (Figure A12).
Software: no data
Figure A11: Pre-stress analysis. Sofistik FEM software.
Form-finding: the design creates a vault skin due to the compres-
sion sticks restrained by the membrane.
Structural behavior: structural membrane that works in con-
junction with isolated compression members. The compression
members are fixed on the membrane individually offering
-Lienhard,J. 2014. Bending Active-Structures. Form-finding strategies using elastic deformation in static and kinematic systems and the structural potentials therein. Research thesis.
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