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EXPLORING

M TERI LS

The

work of

eter Rice

Royal Gold Medallist 1992

Royal

Institute

of

British Architects

66

ortland

lace

London W

l

N 4AD

June 30th - August 25th 992

RIB

G L L ER Y



CIT TION

Peter

Rice is one of

the foremost

structural engineers

of

his time. His

work hos greatly advanced

architecture, reaffirming the deep

creative interconnection between

humanism and sc ience,

art and

technology . His

many

distinguished

contributions started with his

appointment

as site engineer for

Ove

rup and Partners to the Sydney

Opera

House, after which he

designed the structure at the

Pompidou Centre in Paris, where his

innovative choice of cost steel

enabled the scale

of

this

large

building to be sympathetic to the

fabric of the city.

His

approach

to using materials hos

always been innovative

and

sympathetic to their nature. Yet he

hos never pursued innova tion

for

its

own sake, but to

improve

the quality

of buildings

and

human life.

Noteworthy in this context ore his

travelling workshops

for Otronto

in

Italy where, with his

partner

Renzo

Piano (himself a Royal

Gold

Medallist), he invented collapsible

fabric tents

to

provide the means by

having to leave their homes. His

collaborations with Piano hove

always produced work of the highest

order. Perhaps the most impressive

result

of

their

teamwork

is the De

Menil Collection Museum at Houston,

Texos, where his choice

of

ferro-

concrete

and

ductile

iron for

the

leaves

of

the roof,

allowed

a

marvellous quality

of

light in the

interior.

He hos worked with

many other

architects besides Piano. His gloss

walls at the Science Museum at

o

Villette in Paris incorporate

components

from

the

motor

industry to

allow

vistas

of great

splendour; his

canopy under

the

Grande

Arche

at o

Defense brings

human

scale to a huge

monument; his ingenious

collaboration

with

Michael

Hopkins

and

Partners in the design of the

Lord's

Mound

Stand enabled the

immemorial English village tradition

of

watching cricket

from

tents

and

pavilions to be reinvoked in our own

days for large numbers of people in

the middle of London.

which local inhabitants could

improve

He hos mode a

great

contribution

to

their own surroundings without

anchoring

the

art

of

architecture to

real life, real science

and

real

modernity. His contribution

to

the

creative process

is

continuous, both in

relation to other members

of

the team

for

a

particular

project

and

to the

art

of architecture in general. For him,

the creative process

is

not

linear but a

loop

between interactive disciplines.

The creation

of

architecture is

mode

up

of periods of silence, of sudden

intuition and of passionate teamwork,

and

the quintessence

of

this

is

Peter

Rice

. His passionate belief

that

technology

is

a tool to be used with

imagination for

the benefit

of

mankind

hos inspired a generation

of

designers of buildings

of

all

disciplines.



N ENGINEER

S VIEW

We

live in a

time when

the

capacity

to design

and

construct

buildings is

increasing

doily

.

Often

the t

ime

lapse

between concept

and completion

of a

building is

no

more

than

18

months .

Time

is money and

the

emph

a

sis

is

increasingly

on

speed

of

design

and

construction.

n

the process much

of

the fun

and

personal ity hos been eliminated from

the

buildings

we build . I am

interested in the ways in

which

the

engineer con help to

bring

bock

some of the joy

and

excitement which

characterises

many of

the

buildings

we

admire from

the post.

Most

buildings hove or should hove a

life expectancy

greater than

man

and

people

therefore feel on

enormous

responsibility

for

the built environment

in a general sense. It

more

than

anything

else represents the legacy

of

our

time

.

Port of the

problem is

the sheer

power and capacity

of the

building

industry

of today and

the

philosophy

which und erlies it. The legacy we

leave behind

is more

a testament

to

the

power

of

our

industry

than

to

any

sensitivity to the role of

man

and the

environment. People con

no longer

see the relationship between

indiv

idual

capacity to

build

individual

inventiveness

and

the

physical

environment

being

constructed by industry

and

designed

by architects

and

engineers.

P

eople

hove always so

ught

to

build

quickly

. But

today

we con

do

it

more

quickly much

larger

and more

often

than

ever

before We

con

and do

destroy

and

recreate a

neighbou

r

hood

or

even a city in the

historical equivalent of the time to

wink on

eye.

o build quickly we must standardise.

We

must use industrial techniqu

es

.

Components

become industrial

elements which ore used

and

re-used

to create

giant

focodes .

Similar

buildings multiply

over the

landscape

and

the

building

components

dominate

the architecture

and

the

growth and power

of

technology

is

given the

blame

. To counteract this

architects

and

designers hove

returned to the forms

and

images

of

old. But to

do

this misses the point

and

the p

roblem

What

is

needed

is

something which returns the

human

scale

and human

involvement lo

buildings

.

t is

the feel i

ng that people

ore unimportant when compared to

the industrial process which

is

so

damaging

The Victorians succeeded

where

we

do

not.

Industry

and

its power and capacity

were

new to them

. Designers enjoyed

the

freedom to

experiment

to

enjoy

themselves to innovate to explore

the possibilities of this

new power to

manufacture and

create.

t

con be

seen in the best

of

those

buildings

which survive. Go to the Grand

Palois in

Pa

ris

and one

marvels that it

is

so fine

and that

we hove

foiled to

do as well since. And that is or

should be surprising.

We

hove

learned so much

about

steel

and

gloss

and how

structures

work

since

then . Where hos the knowledge

gone? Hos it

become

smothered by

industry

and

desire to standardise? I

believe so. The

languag

e

of

the

standard ised industrial product the I

Section the

tube

hos

dominated

the

ind ivid uality. The joy

and

the

delight

hove

become

smothered. These

elements have

got

to be returned.

That

is

the real objective.

And

the



possibilities ore there. Computers and

computer logic ore being used to

improve efficiency but there is

another side to them and we should

exploit it.

Computers con be used

to

explore

structures and structural forms which

would hove been impossible before.

Techniques now exist to analyse

and

examine aspects of structural

behaviour which were considered

immutable before. Structures which

change their

topology

con be

considered. These ore structures

which hove one set of members

for

resisting one kind of load - soy self

weight - and another for a different

load

pattern - soy a westerly wind.

The computer by a process of

elimination con select on appropriate

member to

set

to resist any load .

Theoretically this was possible before

but it was

too

cumbersome. Now it is

possible. And the stability of systems

con be looked at in a new way.

Members con be allowed to buckle

to participate partially in the

resistance to load . There ore also

new materials. Polycarbonate teflon

fabric ductile iron ferro-cement and

many

others which con be explored

and offer different structural and

textural possibilities. All these

techniques should enable us

to

design

structures which ore truly modern in

the some way that Concorde is a

modern artefact

and

not lose the

desire

to

delight to surprise.

I talk a lot about structure which

is

natural in a way because I am a

structural engineer. But there is a

more fundamental reason.

Throughout history the struggle hos

been to understand materials and

make them stand up. Stone timber

gloss iron each

mode

their impact

gradually as the builder learned to

understand their physical

characteristics

and

what could be

done with each material. The

adventure of discovery is one of the

key elements

to

give value to

building

. o in a way

what

I

am

thinking is how con we recapture

some of that simple confidence some

of

the

form

of structural experiment in

this time when we hove so much

opportunity. That is something people

will understand provided the grip of

industrial monotony

is

broken a t the

some time. The designer should be

visible. The gothic stone mason

may

be unknown. But his presence is

permanent. We must use some of the

powerful tools we hove created

to

challenge the feeling that everything

is predetermined by some industrial

logic that no one con remember and

understand. And we must force

people to see

and

examine what

is

there.

There ore difficulties

of

course. Since

the beginning of the 2 th century

there hos been on enormous growth

in public requirement and control of

building . Buildings and structures ore

now

required not only to work well

and

perform satisfactorily but to be

checked to a complex set

of

codes

and

conditions which were often

written before the nature of the

modern building process was

understood. This is not however a

real obstacle. And it con be

surmounted with tenacity

and

core.

The real issue in design must be to

break the mould of industry controlled

predictability which dominates so

much. The reaction of the public hos

become conditioned. One way

of

doing

this is to take materials

and

change the context of their use .



Another

is

to introduce new

and

unfamiliar materials into a normal

and predetermined context. We con

and

should take materials and by the

processes

of

design examine their

real nature. All these approaches

challenge the preconceived

prejudices. One con return to on era

where

people

hove

got

to examine

the structure

of

building to understond

how it works. The scale becomes the

scale of the observed detail. This

brings

forward

one

of

the most

unhappy

and complex issues

of

modern construction. It

is

often so

vast so high that people cannot and

do not

relate

to

it all .

Nowadays

most

buildings ore constructed

of

moteriCJls

and by methods which hove

no

room

for

fine detail.

One

challenge

is

therefore to find a way to reduce the

scale of buildings so that people feel

comfortab le being close to them.

Centre Pompidou with its extensive

use of cost steel on early industrial

product still much in use today is on

attempt to introduce a material into

building construction to change the

way a building

is

perceived. It

is

on

example

of

the use

of

new materials

to change the feeling

and

scale

of

a

large

and

monumental building . The

piazza

facode of

this

building

hos

nothing to decorate it but structural

elements.

y

using the costings as the

main

building joints the shapes

and form

were liberated from the standard

industrial

language

. The public could

see

the individual design preference.

Modern computers

and

analysis

techniques

and modern

testing

methods

mode

this possible. We

were bock to the freedom

of

our

Victorian forefathers . The individual

details were exploited to give a

personal design philosophy full rein .

The final design was

of

course the

work of

more

than

one

person. Many

architects engineers

and

craftsmen at

the

foundry

contributed to the actual

shape of each piece. And each piece

was subject to the rigours of detailed

structural analysis to ensure that it

was

fit for

its

purpose

in every way

and this too influenced the shape and

the final configuration. But this does

not

matter. The pieces ore indeed

better

for

all the different expertise

which went into their make-up. They

ore more

logical

more

self-evidently

correct in their

form

.

What

matters

is

that they ore free

of

the industrial

tyranny. They require people to

look

and

perceive so that they

may

understand. This brings to

mind

andther myth

about

technology. The

feeling that technological choice

is

always the result of a predetermined

logic. The feeling that there

is

a

correct solution to a technical

question

is

very

common

But a

technical solution like any other

decision

is

a moment in time. It

is not

definitive. The decision

is

the result

of

a complex process where a lot

of

information is

analysed

and

examined and choices mode on the

evidence.

It is

a

moment

in time

and

place where the people their

background

and

their talent

is

paramount What is

often missing

is

the evidence

of human

intervention

the

block

box syndrome.

So

by

looking at new materials or

at

old

materials in a

new

way we

change

the rules. People become visible again.

Fabric structures require complex

mathematical analysis both to

demonstrate their resistance to load

and

to determine the

form and

patterns. The patterns ore particularly

important

because the fab ric flows

up



to

3 under stress which means that

shape and

individual

patterns have

to

be

made smaller than

the final shape

in

order that

a structure can expand

to its correct shape in its

final

condition

. A

number of computer

programmes

exist

for do

i

ng

this

and

this

is

a

clear example

of what

can

now

be achieved

today

but

that

would

have been

difficult before

computers.

The IBM Pavilion explores the use

of

polycarbonate

as a structural

material

, in

addition to

its use as a

cladding . Polycarbonate is

almost

the

opposite

of

glass. It is

tough not

frag

ile. That

means

it is easy

to

handle and will not easily break.

But it

is not

very strong, in the

structural sense.

And

it loses strength

when heated even by sunlight. This

structural weakness

would mean

that

the

polycarbonate

element

would

buckle

if overloaded

. The

detailing is

designed

to exploit

the

characteristics

of

the

polycarbonate

while

protecting it

against

its

weaknesses. The blocks

are

glued to

polycarbonate.

This is the

opposite to

the glass

where bearings

are place in

the glass

plane

.

The

polycarbonate and

timber in the

Although straightforward

in

concept

lower

plane

of

the arch

are

separated the total effect

is one which is

very

by

an adjustable

steel strut. This

is modern

.

connected

to

the stainless steel

block

on

the

polycarbonate

through a

rubber

block

which permits some

movement

but prevents sharp

loading

change damaging

the

weaker

polycarbonate. The

character

and

physical nature

of polycarbonate

has

created the details

and

it

is

the details

which

give

character to

the design.

The Glass Passerelle

at

Lintas in Paris

joins

two

sections

of

an

internal

courtyard . The

roof of

a

blacked-out

glazed

dome

below

could not

be

touched

.

What

was

needed

was a

light

and

fragile

structure

float

ing

above

the covered glazed

dome.

The

solution used a glass

box

suspended

from

a prestressed structure which just

touches the

surrounding

buildings.

The structure uses

modern computer

programmes·in

the same

way

as the

Facade

Bio-climatiques

at La

Villette.

The glass

floor

the glass

roof

and the

glass sides

are detailed to

be as

ephemeral

and light

as possible. The

floor and the roof

permit

continuous

ventilation and a brise soleil is used

to

reduce

heat

gain

in

summer

.

The essential feature

of

these

examples is

that

they try

to break

the

mould of

technological

predictability

which is

normally associated with

structures

of

this type .

y

taking

an

aspect

of

the total design,

and

changing

the

way it

is

viewed and by

challenging

the assumptions normally

used in design

one

can

hopefully

attract people's attention,

for them to

look to

examine,

to become

involved. It is less important

whether

they like the result

than that

they

have

become

involved -

that

they have

stopped

and

looked.

Technology is

in

a

unique

position as a

component

in

the built

environment to

make

that

challenge.

Because

people

are

familiar

with

technology

in

other

products,

and enjoy technology

elsewhere in

cameras

, in cars, in

one

hundred

different

ways it need not be

the

intimidating

industrial

product

that

it has so often

become

in a

buildings

.

Modern

methods

make the challenge

possible . I

think

we should get

out

and

enjoy them

. R

987



The Exhibition Exploring

Materials

reflects the

range of work of

Peter

Rice. A series

of

projects highlights

some

of

those explorations.

The new building for Lloyds of London

is

a rectangular block 68.4m x

46 .8m. The lower ground floor is set

slightly below street level and

contains public areas and a

restaurant together with the

reinstated Old Library. The level

above this

is

the Room which is

double height and above this are 12

gallery levels built

s

rings around the

atrium . A typical

floor

layout is made

up from a 1.8 x l .8m grid of 550 x

300mm beams supported on inverted

U-beams which span between

columns. The distribution of forces in

the grid

is

relatively uniform and the

beams span both ways. The U-beams

are prestressed s are the

550mm

beams in the corner bays.

The floor to floor height

is

4.

5m

of

which l .5m

is

the floor itself. Both the

structure and the services are

exposed with

no

false ceilings.

The

floor

grid design was developed

by observing the natural flow of

forces in the grid in particular the

attraction to the column line. The

beams on the column lines were

strengthened and stiffened to attract

load

while all the other beams were

made half depth. The column line

beams were inverted U-beams formed

by making the half-beams full depth

and closing across the coffer. It was

found that the reinforcement would be

too congested

so

they were

prestressed . This also helped control

deflection and cracking which is

important in exposed concrete.

At the corners of the building the

column arrangement did not permit

this solution . It was assumed that the

grid would not

span

l

6 .2m in two

directions and other arrangements of

full-depth beams were tried . Both of

these complicated the formwork and

services d istribution and looked

wrong . The solution came when the

decision was taken to prestress the

U-beams. It was realised that by

prestressing the half-beams in the

corner the deflections were controlled

and

a consistent solution could be

achieved throughout the

floor

plate.

The U-beams are supported from the

l 050mm diameter cast in situ

columns by precast concrete brackets.

Purpose-made bearings between the

U-beam and bracket carry both

horizontal

and

vertical loads.

The bearing

is

located in the centre of

a coffer and offset l .

8m

from the

centre

of

the column.

The final design was a simple

cantilever concrete bracket packed

with steel. The column and bracket

had to be positioned accurately

because of their relationship with

other elements while the joint had to

be very well made because it was so

visible.



LLOY S

OF

LONDON LONDON

ENGLAND

Client: Lloyds

o

London lnsuronce)

Ltd

Architect: Richord

Rogers &

Partners

Consulting Engineers: Ove Arup

Partners

Lloyds,

designed

with Richard

Rogers

&

Partners, explores

new

ways of articulating concrete

structure . At the

time

of Lloyds steel

construction was

not

accepted by the

City

regulations, so a Centre

Pom p

idou

solution was not possible .

Q uality control

s

the essence of

concrete construction. To meet both

these requirements, articulation and

qu

ality control a strategy of

mix

ing

and alternating

precast

and

in situ

concrete was

adopted

where the

precast elements became the

articulation.

R

9

9



In

1980

Adrien Fainsilber won the

competition

for

the Science Museum

and surrounding park at La Villette in

the

l

9th arrondissement in Paris. In

September 1980 he contacted Peter

Rice who then formed the RFR team.

In

1981

preliminary design

work

began but the project did not get

under full steam until 1982. The

architect had been particularly

inspired by Norman Foster s project

for Willis Faber Dumas at Ipswich in

England. Peter Rice s co-directors

Martin

Francis and Ian Ritchie had

made significant contributions to this

project, with

Martin

Francis notably

as

author

of the suspended glass wall

system in collaboration with the

supplier Pilkington Glass. The Ipswich

project, designed in the early 1970s,

was a stepping off

point

for the

structural glass work at

La

Villette.

The brief set by the client body, the

Etablissement Public du Pare de La

Villette headed by Paul Delouvr ier for

the Science

and

Industry Museum,

was that the build ing itself be

an

example of the performance of

French industry

at

its best. Th is idea

was enthusiastically followed by those

involved in the realisation

of

the

2

greenhouses, the shop windows of

the museum.

Fainsilber s brief was

to

make the

greenhouses as transparent as

possible. He wanted a minimum

of

obstruction

of

the view to the park.

The Ipswich precedent used an all

glass facade with glass fins

as

mullions. But at La Villette, it was

decided very early on

that

the

horizontal view would be obstructed

by the la rge quantity of glass that

would be necessary in the fin

solution. The designers looked for a

solution using horizontal mullions with

a minimum

of

visual obstruction.

Cable trusses were adopted as the

most suitable structural concept for

this application . The use of cable

trusses imp lied particular de tailing for

the glass connections. The detailing

experience at Ipswich and an

awareness of the structural potential

of glass gave the designers

confidence in the capacity of the

glass to adapt to a bracing structure

with significant deformation. The

glass is suspended as curtain using

small vertical connections fixed to

bolts in the corners of each pane. The

bolts are countersunk with the heads

flush with the outer plane. The bolts

employ

spherical bearings in their

heads such as

to

ensure that any

deflections of the glass or cable truss

system do not create local bending

effects in the glass.



4

This project explores the use of

polycarbonate as a structural

material in addition to its use s a

cladding . Polycarbonate is almost the

opposite of glass. It is tough not

fragile. That means it is easy to

handle and will

not

easily

break

. But

it

is

not

very strong in the structural

sense. And it loses strength when

heated even by sunlight . This

structural weakness would mean that

the polycarbonate element would

buckle if overloaded . The

detailing

is

designed to exploit the characteristics

of the polycarl;>0nate while protecting

it

against

its weaknesses. Blocks

are

glued to polycarbonate . This is the

opposite to the glass where bearings

are place in the glass plane.

The polycarbonate

and

timber in the

lower plane of the arch are separated

by an adjustable steel strut . This is

connected to the stainless steel block

on the polycarbonate

through

a

rubber block which permits some

movement but prevents sharp

loading

change

damaging

the weaker

polycarbonate . The character

and

physical nature of polycarbonate has

created the details which give

character to the design.



IBM P VILION

Client: IBM Europe

Architect: Renzo Piono Building Workshop

Consulting Engineer

s

Ove Arup &

Partners

Developed at the same time as La

Villette glass

facade

, a demountable

pavilion using timber polycarbonate

and cast aluminium the concept and

detailing reflect the

nature

of

polycarbonate as a material and the

multiple

use of the structure. Each

detail

hopefully

says

someth

i

ng

about

the way these materials work . It was

used many times in three years and

then destroyed . A

memory

.

R

9

15



6

The project

of

J O. Spreckelsen for

the Grand Arche envisaged the

clouds spilling out onto the

esplanade. These clouds were

conceived as a series

of

overlapping

layers with a fluid, free form which

contrasts strongly with the monolithic

Grand

Arche.

However it was not envisaged to

construct such an animated form

without standardising it to a certain

extent. n particular the number of

different metal pieces and fabric

cutting patterns had to be limited. For

these reasons a geometric rule was

sought which respected the style and

rhythm of the clouds.

A module was created which can be

connected to itself in several ways.

Therefore a multitude of combinations

and shapes may be formed.

Nevertheless all these shapes share a

character which flows

from

the

geometry of the basic unit.

n

order

to obtain the fluctuations of

the clouds this module is part of a

skew surface - one of which is neither

flat nor orthogonal - l imited by

sinusoidal curves.

The development of such a complex

geometry was only possible with the

aid

of computers. This process is

analogous to the method of

constructing fractal images. The rule

of module inter-relation was

programmed into the computer and

each layer

of

the cloud was

composed by trying

out

various

possibilities produced by these

combinations.



NUAGES PARIS FRANCE

Client:

SEM Tele

Defense

Architect: . 0 . Spreckelsen and Aeroports de

Paris

Paul Andreu

Consulting Engineers: Ove Arup &

Partners

and

RFR

The Nuages is a structure in

fabric

and steel suspended in the volume

of

a

Grande Arche to give scale

and

measure to an immense volume. The

teflon fabric,

of

which it is

made

is

light but being only lightly translucent

it is difficult

to

perceive this lightness.

We

worked

with Paul

Andreu

who

succeeded Spreckelsen as architect to

the project when he resigned because

of

ill health. Fabric being a sheet

lacks body, but real clouds,

ephemeral, transient, occupy volume.

To achieve this duality the Nuages

was composed

of an

undulating

fabric

surface giving visual continuity

between, above

and below and

supported on radiating cables trusses

so

that the real volume occupied by

the

fabric

was joined by the virtual

volume

of

the steel structure giving a

large presence in the space. The

Nuages was not well understood

when it first appeared but as the

fabric has mellowed

and

people have

become used to it this has changed .

The detailing

of

the joints is used as

elsewhere to achieve the transition in

scale. R

92

7



18

The concept of a theatre using purely

moonlight for

the stage

lighting

was

developed

by Humbert

Camerlo

with

Peter R e. The technical solution

involved a sophisticated computer

ana lysis of the

moon

s

ever changing

geometric

relationship

to

the outdoor

theatre site. This

determined

the

location

and

orientation

of the series

of

moveable

concave

mirrors that

track the moon in the sky and focus

the

light

onto a concentrated point

on

the stage. The

project

is an

ongoing

experimental

experience. Each

season

brings new explorations into

light,

new

reflective

materials

and

inventive constructions to use them as

well as

new performances

including

art, music, dance that are created

to

be seen in this ethereal l ight. This

year

it is hoped

to

achieve 400 times

the intensification of the full moon

light

. The mirrors are designed

according

to

the paraboloid that

reflects the moonlight

onto

a single

po i

nt

. For the purposes of the theatre

as the moon moves across the sky,

the

paraboloid changes direction

throughout each night and changes

its geometry with each moon . The

theatre is made by local artisans and

volunteer

help

and so the techniques

of

fabrication

must be simple . The

current design is based

on

9 panels

measuring

6 .Sm x 2.2m

that

move

on

curved tracks. The tracks follow a

specific shape that

automatically

turns

and inclines the

mirrors

as they move

tracking the moon .



OONTHEATRE

FRANCE

Client: Ateliers de Gourgoubes Humbert Camerlo

Designer and Theatre

Director

Humbert Camerlo

Consulting Engineers : Ove Arup

Partners

ond

RFR

The

Moon

Theatre

s

the conjunction

of myth, ritual and reality. The theatre

in Provence s lit entirely by reflected

moonlight

. The complex calculation to

track the

moon,

define the geometry

of

the reflections which

form

different

theatrical functions - spots, sidelights,

footlights

and

so

on - was developed

in London and Paris, working with

Humbert

Camerlo,

a theatre director.

Otherwise all the development s the

product

of

craftsmen

working on

site.

Young engineers

don t

sit and

draw

in the office. They are all sent to the

theatre to participate

in its

development both physically and

mentally. A special lightweight

mirror

was developed using 1 Smm chemically

toughened glass as the base artefact

of

the assembly. It s

and

will continue

to be a place of experiment in theatre,

the psychology of light

and

the myth

of the moon. The committee de

l'Atelier de Gourgoubes has members

who include physicists, artists,

musicians, writers, choreographers

and dancers,

film

directors

and

senior

television producers,

and

myself an

engineer, to create a multi-varied

framework for research. All original

work must take place on site. It

s

a

project at its beginning . R

92

19



The roof

of

the main terminal building

is formed from a series

of

three

dimensional arched triangulated steel

frames supported on raking tubular

legs. With a

main

span

of

82 .5m the

trusses continue towards londside

where a single vertical pinned leg

provides

another point

of

support as

the

roof

becomes a cantilever canopy

over the passenger

drop-off

area.

Towards oirside, the trusses curve

downwards and reduce depth to

another single support leg where they

merge into the wing structure.

Although

of

on unusual shape, these

trusses act in the conventional way

b·enefiting

from

their arched shape in

carrying vertical load .

The wing structure is not

conventionql. Here, the shape hos

been generated to enable a large

proportion

of

the vertical and lateral

forces to be carried in its surface by

shell action, minimising bending. This

enables the structural components to

be visually compact

for

the spans

they cover. They ore mode from steel

ribs defining the profile and

interacting with secondary beams

parallel to each

other and

extending

the length

of

the building. Diagonal

2

members complete the shell surface .

Every other rib, at

15m

centres, is

held in shape by a

diaphragm

formed from steel tension bars

arranged singly and in pairs. All

of

this gives a structure which is

remarkably

light,

airy and elegant

.

In this case because the structural

performance relies on the geometry,

analysis hos been by use

of

a non

lineor dynamic relaxation

programme

developed by Arup which con

simulate buckling and takes account

of

the deflected shape.

In the main hall the environment hos

been considered in two parts. The

first is the macro environment which

considers the entire volume

of

the

space in conjunction with the overall

level

of

natural

and

artificial lighting,

air movement and conditioning to

counteract the heat gains

or

losses

through the skin . The second port is

the micro environment where the

occupied zones such as around

check-in counters ore treated for

comfort

and

lighting levels

appropriate to the task being

performed locally. This

micro

system

is supplied with air from below the

floor

level. Air outlets and light fittings

ore integrated into check-in counters

and offices .

The macro system is served by large

diameter jets supplying conditioned

air

at high level in the canyon and

using the curve

of

the air shell

ceilings to deliver it some 60m across

the space. This provides general air

movement and fresh air ventilation.

Return

air

is token out

of

the space at

low level. Justification

of

the successful

operation

of

such a system, and the

design

of

the jets, hos been based on

three-dimensional fluid flow computer

modelling and large scale (1:10)

physical model tests . Arup completed

the computer simulations

and

the

model tests were carried out by

BISRI at their laboratories in Bracknell.

In the wings, a similar but less

ambitious macro-micro approach is

used . Air supplies at low level

adjacent to the gloss focode on both

sides

of

the wing blow air into the

space. Lights, P equipment and so

on ore mounted on posts to create a

street lighting effect

for

the

lounge

areas. A general level

of

lighting is

achieved by reflection from the roof.



KANSAI INTERN TION L

AIRPORT

TERMINAL

JAPAN

Client: Kansai International Airport

Limited

Architect: Renzo

Piano

uilding Workshop

Consulting Engineer: Ove Arup

&

Partners

Renzo Piano, in his competition

concept for the terminal saw a giant

bird or plane alighting on the

artificial island Skm out in Kansai

bay.

To

this I

added

the spirit

and

detailing of the early

20th

century

Bleriot bi-planes to help make the

trans ition in scale to those

who

will

use it.

Once

the

form

of the roof

had

been defined it was used by

my

environmental engineering colleague

Tom Barker to create overall air

control, with a

large

scale air jet

ventilating the whole space

and

local

control w h ~ r the people are . This

was explored

and

proved

through

the

latest

computer

software

.

R

9

2



The spider and structural engineer

both share similar requirements and

constraints when designing a new

structure. Whether designed to

resist

wind snow,

or

a large fast moving

insect, webs and buildings alike must

maintain their structural integrity

under

anticipated loads.

Both must minimise construction

materials. The spider produces a

limited supply

of

silk which it recycles

daily by eating its

web

. In addition

reducing construction time is not only

a cost-cutting measure, but possibly a

life-saving one, for the spider is

vulnerable to prey every

moment

that

it is

building

its web . Selecting the

most appropriate material is essential

too to allow a structure to function as

designed

and

the spider must choose

between at least eight dif ferent types

of

silk.

Spiders' silk

is

a very strong

natural

polymer which can absorb 100 times

the energy required to snap a steel

thread

of

equal diameter. It also has

the ability to respond to imposed

loads - a quick change in length

The properties of the silk change

depending on whether it is wet

or

dry.

Water

breaks down the

hydrogen bonding

between adjacent

polymer chains

and

the overall effect

is to increase the elasticity

of

the

thread . The spider uses both wet

spiral

and

dry

radial

threads in its

web. The spiral 'capture' threads are

coated with a special glue produced

by the spider. This glue provides the

'stickiness' required to entangle prey

and absorbs moisture from the

atmosphere . A layer

of

water grows

around the thread until it reaches a

critical diameter, then it suddenly

breaks into tiny droplets. These

'windlasses' are driven by the surface

tension

of

the droplets, and reel in

and

out the spiral thread to keep it

taut.

In

addition these tiny droplets

serve another unexpected function :

they increase air resistance, thus

doubling the energy absorbed by

aerodynamic

damping

.

The key to the structure

of

the spider's

web lies in its shape and stress

distribution . y allowing large

elongation

of

the threads, the

produces a large resisting force which maximum proportion

of

kinetic

slowly comes to equilibrium over time. energy from a flying insect is

absorbed as strain energy. The

multiple redundancy

of

the radial

threads ensures that the web will

function even if

many

radials break.

A distinct structural hierarchy in the

web is defined by the large

difference in prestress. Radial threads

are highly tensioned compared to the

spirals. If a bumble bee hits and sticks

to a few strands

of

spiral thread they

'break' the impact because

of

their

highly elastic nature. The load

of

the

bumble bee travels from the spirals to

the radials, where much of the kinetic

energy is absorbed and then

continues straight out to the supports.

Meanwhile the whole web gently

vibrates dissipating energy through

air resistance .

In

the past, possible applications

for

spiders' silk have been limited.

Today, however, the technology

exists

to

biosynthesize the silk, This

discovery opens up a range

of

possibilities - perhaps it will soon be

possible to build very light, highly

elastic structures which actively adapt

to their changing environment



SPIDERS

WEBS

A collaboration between

Peter

Rice Ove Arup & Partners and

r

.

Frit

z

Vollrath

When I was invited by Fritz

Vollrath

and

his team

at

the

Zoology

Department of

Oxford

University to

join

him

exploring

how spiders' webs

work

I accepted

immediately

.

Open

ended research leads to the most

exciting results

and

stimulus.

So

far

we have discovered

that

the spider

is

using the techniques of the late 20th

century engineer, but with much

more

elegance

and

precision . Here

too

we

are at

the beginning

. R 92

3



The Pabellon del Futuro - Pavilion of

the Future - is one of the principal

thematic pavilions to feature at Expo

92 in Seville. The architects wanted

to create a spectacular eastern

facade structure, supporting the

pavilion s roof which would capture

visitors

imaginations

.

The possibility

of

building the facade

using natural stone as its

primary

structural material was seen as an

opportunity to challenge

contemporary perceptions of stone as

purely a cladding or facing material

and to demonstrate how modern

analytical, fabrication and

construction methods can exploit the

properties of this ancient building

material in a new and innovative way.

The outline form of the structure

recalls that of Roman aqueducts such

as that found at Segovia . However,

its detailed composition and its

structural combination with a three

dimensional steel lattice structure for

its lateral stability distinguishes it from

its ancient predecessors . The facade

structure is completely self-stable. It is

used to support the curved lattice roof

beams over the Pavilion which are

4

suspended from the stone arches via

a tie-system which applies uniform

radial

loading to

the arch, and

therefore a thrust-line which follows its

circular geometry.

Arup s specially developed software

for

non-linear

structural analysis was

a key element in being

able to

justify

the stability of the stone arch without

it being braced . Thus the stone joints

within the arch were

properly

modelled to represent the potential

flip-flap mechanism of hinging either

about its intrados or extrados.

The open stone units featured in the

structure were assembled

from

solid

blocks of osa Porino granite. This

was done at the stoneworks by gluing

and dowelling with no internal

reinforcing to the granite pieces.

Precise cutting of the granite was

achieved by modern computer

controlled machines.

The means of constructing the facade

structure was an

important

consideration during its design.

The erection of the facade on site

was achieved without the use of

temporary

supports.

Sections

of

the structure were lifted

into position by crane after pre

assembly at

ground

level.

Once

the

facade was completed, the roof and

canopy beam loads could be

transferred to the

hanger

ties under

the arches.



The choice

of

the structural system for

a new church is a

major

element

of

the design. The important nature

of

the

Padre io church, its size

and

location,

calls

for

a very particular structural

solution for supporting the roof.

For the Padre

io

church it

is

proposed to use a series

of

arches in

natural stone to provide a distinct

primary structure from which a

secondary roof structure will be

supported. The arches will be set out

on a

radial plan

converging

towards

a focus at the altar

of

the church. Two

sets

of

primary arches, inner and

o uter, will be used . Inner arches, with

approximately 50m spans, will fan

out from the focus point to support the

roof over the central part

of

the

church whilst a set

of

smaller outer

arches will span over the outer part

of

the floor which will vary in width

around the central zone.

Although largely ignored as a

possible choice for most

contemporary buildings, natural stone

can have strength and durability

characteristics which make it a valid

modern structural material if it is used

properly and where geometric forms

6

are

not

constrained by conventional

building requirements . The successful

cathedrals built in stone demonst rate

the strength

of

natural stone and the

types

of

form

for

which it works best.

Essentially, natural stone is a material

which should be used for its

good

compressive strength. The avoidance

of

tensile strains within stonework can

be achieved by finding a suitable

geometry which allows load

transmission by primarily compressive

thrust. Thus, for larger spans, the arch

form is an obvious preference for

stone structures.

The roof system between the arches is

proposed to be

of

timber

construction. A variety

of

options

exists

for

the precise geometry and

structural configuration for this part

of

the roof and the final choice

of

construction may be influenced partly

by environmental and acoustic

considerations within the church . The

roof level structure will be used to

provide the lateral stability necessary

to the primary arches. These

stabilising forces will be transmitted

via a three-dimensional intermediate

transfer structure between the arches

and roof.

The project combines the strong

traditions

of

material use

and

craftsmanship associated with church

buildings, with the application

of

the

most modern technology to structural

design

and

construction.



PADRE PIO CHIESA PUGLIA ITALY

Architect: Renzo

Piano

uilding Workshop

Consulting Engineers : Ove Arup &

Partners

When seeking inspiration for the

large basilica-like church at Son

Georgia de Rotondo in south central

Italy we naturally chose stone, on

authentic base material with close

connections

to

church architecture.

The project s still in its early stages

and

the final

form and

shape that this

will creole

s

not yet clear. The nature

of the place where earthquakes con

occur will become on important

factor

R 9

7



8

Alessandro

Mendini

the architect of

the new

Groningen

Museum in the

Netherlands, asked the artist Fronk

Stello to design the

upper gallery

of

one

wing

of the museum. The

museum

s

located in the city centre

on o

mound and s

surrounded by

water.

Fronk Stello developed the

architecture of the museum in his

studio in New York

and

mode the

initial models

from aluminium

pieces.

The project consists of two

intersecting leaves that

float

above

the gallery floor. Each

leaf

hos the

some undulating geometry and one s

defined

from

the other by o rotation

and

o translation . The pattern of the

leaf

veins governs the floor pion

and

the position of the partitions. The

edges of the leaves overhang

and

o

continuous strip of gloss runs around

the gallery. The veins are laminated

wooden

beams tha t intersect

at

their

support points. Between the beams, a

grid

of

wooden

joists creates a

surface over which two layers of

teflon coated fabric are stretched . The

walls are found either at the vertical

projection of the edge beam or are

set perpendicular to the surface at the

edge. In the latter case, an inclination

of the edge wall

s

created all

around

the

building.

· The geometry of the leaf was

researched according

to

the plastic

form

desired by Stella

and

then the

structure was defined .



3

Located between

Terminal

2 and the

future

Terminal

3, the

TGV railway

station at

Charles

de Gaulle Airport

in Paris

is composed of four

steel

and

glass constructions symmetrical

about

the ax

is

of the terminals. Each

roof is

l m long and 50

to

?Orn wide . The

outer

glazed

roofs

are

at

ground

level

while

the inner roofs are

inclined

,

emerging

from the underground

stati

on up

towards

the

central axis.

The structure is a transposition

of

the

levitation image . It is completely

detached

from

its facades and

s

upported

in the centre . The layers

of

constructive elements are : a fritted

glass plane float i

ng

on

articulated

struts, crescent-beams and fan shaped

pylons . These layers move apart

and

transform

as they ascend

towards

the

central axis. The curved glass profile

becomes gradually flat, the crescent

beams

get

deeper and

the pylons

become

trees with three then four

branches. The crescent-beam

is

composed of

a strong curved double

bottom boom

and a thin

top

tensile

element

. It

is

supported in the centre

and maintained against uplift by

lateral cables . To

control

its sensitivity

to

settlements of the supports the top

tie

is

made more flexible by slender

high strength steel bars and springs

are placed at the base

of

the lateral

ties . The beam

is

prevented from

buckling

out

of

plane by connecting it

at its edges

to

the

rigid

glass

plane

The undersurface of strong curved

elements reinforces the impression

of

levitation and its

thinning

out permits

a

clear

view out of

the

station from

the platforms.



GARE TGV ROISSY FRANCE

Client: Aeroports de

Paris

and SN F

Architect: Aeroports de

Paris

Paul

Andreu

Consulting Engineers :

RFR

and Ove Arup

&

Partners

Ro issy,

Charles

de Gaul le is

an

international interchange where air

high

speed rail, buses and other

surface transport meet. Paul Andreu

the ch ief architect for Aeroport de

Paris, wanted th is to be symbolised in

the glass roof of the TGV station . The

structure has a central

support

line, so

as not to enclose the station, but

instead provide visual

and

psychological contact with the

airport

all

around

. R 92

3



3

The construction of Lille Cathedral

began in the eighteenth century but

the building was left unfinished and

the west facade is currently an

unsightly temporary infill .

Monseigneur Vilnet, the Bishop of

Lille,

is

instigating a refurbishment

of

the cathedral and a new west

front

.

Pierre-Louis Carlier, a prominent

architect in Lille, has assembled a

team with a developer Cogedim an

artist, Ladislas Kinjo and Peter

Rice

as

engineer

to create a new facade.

Pierre Louis Carlier s new facade

consists of a tower on the left side

which houses a belfry, a central bay

designed by

R R

and a re-surfacing

of the remaining existing structure in

copper leaf.

The central

bay

is entirely in stone

with a stainless steel tension bracing

system. The arch

is

curved in section

for bending stability. It is in the same

pierre bleu used

for

the original

cathedral. The bracing structure is

prestressed such that the stone is

always in compression as the strength

of stone is its compressive capacity.

In tension

or bending

it is very weak.

A glass and stone facade is

suspended from the stone arch. A thin

marble layer is bonded to glass such

that it acts as a light filter. Seen from

the inside, the

grain and colour

of the

stone enrich the quality of the light.

Varying the nature and thickness of

the stone varies the light

colour and

intensity.

The rose window is conceived by the

artist Kinjo. It is in stained glass made

by a descendant of the Gruber family

of stained glass artists. The traditional

stained glass t ~ h n i q u e s are

integrated with a modern engineering

solution for the bracing structure using

pre-stressed cables. The geometry of

the cable structure was composed in

collaboration

with the artists as a

relief element in their composition.



4

Originally

conceived to recall a

Japanese style footb ridge, this

pedestrian

bridge

spans l OOm

between buildings

on

either side

of

a

busy

main

rood at o Defense, Paris.

The structure is steel with a precost

concrete deck covered by a

3m

high

glazed

walkway

. Taking into account

the inability

of

the supporting build ing

to take significant horizontal thrust,

the

bridge is

designed as a tied arch .

The

main

arches ore

9 mm

fabricated

triangular

sections, and the

tendons

2

mm diameter

solid bars.

Arches and tendons

follow parabolic

curves modified

to

take account

of

the

real self

weight

distribution so as

to

minimise arch bending under dead

load

. Whilst the

bridge is highly

stable against

uniform

vertical load,

the presence

of

the glazed

walkway

gives rise

to

high

wind

loads wh ich

load the

bridge

laterally

and

in

torsion

about

its axis. The lateral

loads

ore

token simply by the braced

plane between the tendons,

and

the

torsion transmitted via action of the

two arch-tendon planes.

The principal nodes, which form the

connection between tendons, hangers

and deck support structure, were

originally

envisaged as cost pieces.

For ease

of

erection the contractor

chose the solution

of

forged demi

nodes , th readed onto the tendons

and bolted together on site. The use

of

such hi

gh

steel thicknesses

for

such

critical tension elements led to the

specification

of

very high notch

toughnesses

for

the steel to ovoid

potential problems

of br

ittle fracture .



JAPAN

BRIDGE

PARIS

Client Sari

Group

Architect:

Kisho

Kurokawa Japan


R R

and Ove Arup

Partners

The

origin l

idea

of

Kisho Kurokawa

was changed with his

greement

to

produce a tors ionally stiff

form

to

resist the wind loads found at

La

Defense, which is a difficult wind

environment

.

PR 92

5



6

sch sur Alzette is the second

town

of

Luxembourg . Where Luxembourg City

itself is dominated by banks

and

European affairs,

sch

is

dominated

by the steel industry. It is the

home

of

Arbed

. The

town

grew on the banks

of a small river called the Alzette, but

as the industry

and

the town grew the

river became smaller and is now

channelled underneath the

main

street, the rue de l Alzette . The

commercial

and

cultural heart of the

town is the rue de l Alzette with the

town hall at one end and a theatre at

the other end .

RFR

were invited to design a series of

lighting masts for the rue de l Alzette,

that would reflect the identity of the

town.

Arbed s production is primarily

laminated profiles. The masts are

found on the standard Arbed range

but

are taken

out

of

the rolling

process in a semi-finished state . This

gives them a curious and unfamiliar

dog-bone profile form which

creates a special and original profile

for the particular application .

Fixed to some of the masts are small

fabric light reflectors or birds as they

are called . The density of the birds is

greater

at

the end of the street where

the cultural facilities of the city are

concentrated and which is paved

such as to be accessible to

pedestrians only .

The geometry of the composition is

based on the almost perfect arc

followed by the street of a radius of

approximately 6 kilometres . The

heads of the masts are inclined to

meet this p r f ~ t geometry while the

feet follow the real imperfect arc

traced by the street. This gives every

mast a different angle breaking the

monotony of conventional street

lighting masts.

The critical design condition for the

masts is the wind loading . The long

thin H profiles have a tendency to

flutter

under

certain wi

nd

directions .

The holes at the top of the masts are

necessary to break up the wind flow

patterns that would otherwise

accelerate the vibration

of

the

profiles .

A



ESCH LUXEMBOURG

Client:

Town o Esch

sur Alzette

Architect and

Town Planner

:

Prof

Sievents

Designers and Engineers: RFR

\

Esch,

the

second

town of

Luxembourg, s

famous

but

unknown

.

It s the home of

rbed

, which makes

the finest large steel profiles in the

world .

When

invited

by

the city to

propose

a street symbol

for

the city

we

thought to

use a

standard profile

in

an

unconventional way

by

interrupting the rolling process

and

making

the lampposts of a partially

completed section. The perforations

at

the top

provide torsional wind

stability

by aerodynamic

damping

. R

9

7·

I

'/

7



The Pyramide lnversee

is

a skylight

above the square

formed

by the

intersection of the

underground

galleries of the Carrousel at the

Louvre. The pyramid points

downwards , its l 3 .3m

square

base

being on ground level and its apex

hanging

l

.

4m

above the gallery floor.

The shape of the Pyramide lnversee

maximises the amount of natural

daylight admitted, as light

is

reflected

from

the inclined glass surfaces. The

characteristics of this sheltered prism

lead to a different structural solution

to that of the existing Grand Pyramid.

Tne work is separated into two

independent parts - the roof, a very

flat pyramid which is designed to

withstand crowd-loading and the

inverted pyramid which is sheltered

from external wind-effects, and which

is intrinsically stable under its self

weight .

These two sections are both

connected to a metal caisson which

surrounds the square base ,

supporting the weight of the glass

and

the cable anchorage forces. This

box also contains the services -

lighting, ventilation supply and extract.

8

The structural and geometrical logic

was determined in order to minimise

the variety of nodal connections and

also the amount of on-site adjustment

required . This principle led to a

hierarchical structure with primary

and secondary sections.

The roof, wh i

ch

is almost flat, is flush

to the level of the roundabout of the

Carrousel. The glass

is

supported by

tetrapod castings, which pick up the

corners of each panel. These

tetrapods are attached to struts which

are stabilised by cables which are

themselves supported by a series of

horizontal cables. Thus, the principle

of tensegrity, as defined by

Buckminster Fuller in the 50s, is

applied - all compression elements

being separated from each other by

tension elements.

The

hanging

glass is structural, as in

La

Villette . Each glass lozenge

is

articulated from the others by

spherical bearings positioned at their

corners, the bearings being linked

together by stainless steel cross

shaped pieces.

Each panel is picked up at its centre

by a fine cable which is linked to a

flying post. These flying posts are

supported by cables which tie back to

the edge beam .

The primary internal structure consists

of

eight vertical struts held by cables

which are themselves attached to five

layers of very fine cables keeping the

glass surfaces flat.

The

hanging

panels are tempered,

laminated white glass; the roof panels

are

30mm

bright annealed laminated

glass with all panels having

chamfered edges.

s the

light

changes

and

the sky is

reflected, the pyramid will harbour

the

aura of

a signal suspended in

time, a remnant

of Napoleon

s

original

hall.



PYRAMIDE

INVERSEE

LOUVRE

PARIS FRANCE

Client: Etoblissement Public du Grande

Louvre

Architect: l M Pei

Consulting ngineers :

RFR

As n

architect

I.

M .

Pei

likes

complexity which can

moment rily

become simple.

By

choosing a

tensegrity structure

not

fully authentic,

it should

look

complex

from

some

angles but then become simple

nd

al igned

from

certain key directions.

This project provoked research into

glass

det iling . R 92

9



4



THE

COLLABORATOR S VI W

Making Architecture, since the very

beginning

of the profession, has been

an inter-disciplinary adventure -

one

with no

boundaries

between concept

and

action, dream

and pragmatism

between design and

engineering

.

And

since the

beginning

, architecture

has been achieved

not only

with the

involvement of architects, but with the

contributions of builders,

philosophers, historians

and

of

course , engineers .

The time has come for

us

now to

recognise the inter-active spirit which

is the very origin of our discipline .

Peter

ice

is one of those engineers

who has greatly contributed

to

architecture, re-affirming the deep

creative interconnection between

humanism and

science, between

art

and technology .

Architecture is ar t : a

contaminated

one

. Life, society,

tradition

modernity

technology

and science

are

the contaminants

that

go

together to

make

this art alive. This is

the reason why architecture provokes

the interest and passion of

so

many

people and this is

why

it is closer

to

the

public

than any

other

discipline .

Peter

ice

has made a

great

contribution to

anchor

the art of

architecture to real life, real science

and real modernity .

enzo Piano Architect

Genoa taly

I cannot

remember

when I first

met

Peter. Frei Otto gave me his name

back in the late 60s when we tried

to

persuade Chelsea Football Club that

what they really needed was not just

a new East Stand but a lightweight

retractable tent enclosing the whole

ground . The result was an unmitigated

disaster but it led some

two

years

later

to

Peter and Ted Happold, the

leader of Arups lightweight research

group asking Renzo and I to enter

the Beaubourg competition . And so it

began . Since then there has

hardly

been a week when I haven t worked

or talked with Peter.

Peter

is

not

like

any other engineer

.

He does not wait for the architect

to

develop his ideas and then offer

options of how to prop them up . He is

a strategist who is at his best working

on understanding the nature

of

the

client s wishes . He is there at the first

meeting listening, thinking and

questioning. His

drawn

and spoken

responses are elegant and concise.

I have witnessed Peter time and time

again convincing the most sceptical

client that a more innovative solution

would carry

less

risk than a mundane

one because

to

innovate one must

start

from

basic principles with

nothing taken for granted .

Peter is a true virtuoso . Optimistic and

open to new challenges, always

pushing the boundaries a little further

yet totally conscious of his

professional responsibilities . Steel,

stone, wood plastic, concrete or

carbon fibre are all his materials.

Like his great predecessors whether

Brunel or Brunelleschi, Peter is able to

step outside the confines

of

his

professional training transferring

technical problems into poetical

solutions. His design combines order

with

delight

science with

art

. He

is

so

much a part of the design team that it

is invidious to highlight specific areas

where his involvement changed the

direction

of

our thinking but I will

isolate a few; Beaubourg s original

double column and steel structure was

developed into a single column with

4



on outer plane of fine tension and

compression members, the planes

separated by great steel brackets; the

low cost solution

for

a large car

showroom

and

garage of

o barrel

vault supported by numerous skewers

which made the building look like a

porcupine; the beautiful

roof

in the

form

of

a wave for our BAA terminal

competition; or the ferro-cement

concept for

pre-fabricated housing in

Korea.

There

is

an inner sense of peace

about Peter which

is

reflected in

_verything he does. He

is

a humanist

who has enriched my life.

Sir Richard Rogers Architect

London

It is a long time now since I met Peter

ice but I remember my surprise at

our first encounter.

It was

during

the construction

of

the

Centre Pompidou . The architects had

described him to me as an

outstanding mathematician who

overcame all problems. Instead

of

someone clean-shaven and cold in

aspect, I found myself opposite a

hirsute individual his gaze smiling

4

and sensitive, looking more like a

poet

or

an artist than those correct

mannered technical experts whom

one often comes across in public

administration .

Experience was to confirm my

perplexity. In-depth discussions

proceeded to take place between

Peter

ice

and the insurance

companies, who wanted irrefutable

proof

of

the integrity of complex

structures since their equilibrium

resulted from internal tensions

between various elements.

Peter ice responded with a display

of

intellectual gymnastics which I had

a great deal

of

trouble following

despite my mathematical pretensions,

and thus triumphed over all the

objections.

In Peter s att itude there was a passion

which

took

me

aback

. The

building

which he was

championing

was part

of

himself, he loved it, and as he

explained the calculations which had

allowed it to be built as it should be, I

realised that he fully felt its quality.

The bald statement

of

the figures

translated directly, in his own mind

its tangible appearance as it would

appear

to the eyes

of

visitors. Later,

when he built other buildings, he was

to retain the same behaviour. And it

is because Peter ice shows himself in

this way to be a great humanist, in

the full sense of the word, that he

deserves

our

profound

gratitude .

obert

ordaz

former President pour

le realisation du

Centre ompidou

I have found in Peter

ice

the

sensitivity

of

Q great artist . Peter

knows above all how to observe and

captivate the essence

of

an

architectural concept. This approach

completely free

of

any preconceived

idea, allows Peter to absorb the spirit

of

a project, and then to translate it

brilliantly by creating and using

original building techniques .

My

relationship with Peter

is

one

where words are almost unnecessary.

Peter consistently transcended my

original

visions and exceeded my

expectations.

To attain the objective

of

maximum

transparency for the bioclimatic



their motives remain obscure

and

unfathomable.

Responding to

what

now seems to

have been a pretty far-fetched

proposal

I

built

a l Oft .

wide model

of

a footbridge - a spray

painted

jumble of

aluminium

whose

enlargement

was

meant

to span the

Seine. Since it

matched

his

brightly

coloured

vision,

my

Parisian

agent

was pleased. He wanted to show it to

France's

Minister

of Public Works,

but

first he needed

an

engineering

opinion . He asked Peter

to

look

at

my

model.

Surprisingly, Peter showed

up

.

Well,

what

do you

want to

know?

he asked after walking

around

the

maquette a few times. I

thought Oh

boy, I'm really in

over my head

now

but

managed to ask as casually as

possible Do you think it 's

buildable?

He

looked at

the

model

of

the

bridge again and

responded

Yes . I didn't believe

him

for a

second . Then I began

to

realise what

Yes

meant

. Sure it was buildable -

buildable

by

him, not

me . But,

fortunately, there was

more

to it than

that. Somehow, even though he

communicated a questioning,

perhaps cond itional, sense of

approval

he did it in such a way

that

the recollection makes me

happy

to

this moment . It seems the

Yes

implied

that

the model

might

be worth

developing if we could

work

it through,

if, first, I could only

make

myself clear

about

my

idea for the

bridge

.

We

never got very fa r on the

bridge,

but later we

did

get pretty far

on

a

museum proposal for the Dutch town

of

Groningen.

On

that

project I

got

lucky. A simple,

communicable

idea

popped out at

me

from

a Dover book

of Chinese lattice designs . Twisting

one

of

its

leaf

shapes

made

a

wonderful roof plane for our building

model. When

Peter asked

me what

was the idea behind the wavy roof I

could

say proudly It's like a leaf

.

Once he

had

a handle, once he

could grasp the image, Peter just

rolled on like a juggernaut, crushing

the obstacles

of

practicality

and

cost,

making

it possible for us to build

what we liked .

I guess it's obvious that Peter is a

national treasure but I feel the truth is

that he is a universal treasure . Just to

be

around him

makes you want to

think,

think as hard

as you can.

Even

when the results are worthless

and

the

efforts futile Peter has helped me

realise

what

a privilege it is to be

able

to

think

at

all.

Frank Stella Artist

California USA

A conversation with Peter Rice is

always for me a great moment. His

language

is a mirror of himself:

friendly, clear, fa ir, never bombastic,

always fascinating

and

fascinated .

One

of his greatest qualities is , I

believe, to

~ s t l l

a real

dialogue

where the quality of that which he

gives

is

equal

to his

capac

ity to listen .

He is the same with every architect

who wishes lo work with

him

.

Wh

i lst

respecting the integrity of the concept

of each project

and

of each personal

style, he nourishes the project,

pushing it to its limits such that the

orig

i

nal

i

dea

is reduced to its

essential purity. He

manages

to

adapt

himself to his counterpart without

losing

any

of his own integrity. He

uses technology

only

as a

tool

wh ich

serves the project at

hand

.

In the office, when he trusts people, it

is a total trust. He encourages each



person

to

express his own ideas and

wishes , and offers his own real

support

.

Peter is a person whom I profoundly

admire and I am proud to work for him .

Nicolas Prouve

Student

Paris France

Sometime in

1989

Sir Jack's inimitable

and much missed daughter Marion

Zunz suggested that Peter might be

interested in my work on spiders'

webs . I well remember the first

meeting at Arups office, with Peter

getting more and more excited about

the intellectual

and

artistic

challenge

behind spiders' webs, and Jack

getting more and more cautionary

about the costs in manpower and

computer time of studying them .

Peter used two lines of reasoning .

First, the spider 's web is a perfect

example of a

lightweight

net that -

given a

proper

analysis -

should lead

us to novel insights into the

engineering of net structures; after all,

the web had gone through

180

million

years

of

research

development in absorbing kinetic

energy

. Second, the web

provides

a

wonderful

opportunity

for thinking

and

learning

about alternative

architecture; this he saw as part of a

training that would benefit his

engineers. Peter persisted, visited

Oxford to see

our

spiders in action

and their handiwork and then

succeeded in securing an in-house

grant

to finance a preliminary study.

The first results, modelled

and

analysed by Peter's assistant Lorraine

Lin, a re extremely interesting for us

biologists and - I believe - for

engineers as well. For the first time,

and only because of Peter's vision

coupled with Ove Arup 's generosity,

do we biologists now have the

chance

of

a better

understanding

of

the forces acting upon the spider's

web - for instance when a bee hits it,

the constraints that affect the spider

and the tricks that it uses to overcome

some of those constraints.

r

F Vollrath Zoologist

University of Basel

and

University

of

Oxford

s

a Contractor

making

steel

structures which

are

generally

strongly

visually expressed

and

consequently need

to have

carefully

developed

details, working with Peter

Rice

has been

an

almost

unique

experience. Peter's structures are

often very

complex

and yet he has

the special ability to communicate his

ideas without a mass

of

statistical

data which can so easily blind the

real concepts which underpin any

structural design and are essential to

be transferred for construction. Young

engineers could greatly profit from a

study

of

this particular gift and

attempt to develop a similar

engineering style.

Peter has always been an enthusiast

in the use of steel and sympathetic to

the needs

of

the structural steelwork

contractor

with a

detailed

understanding

of what can and

cannot be achieved . Nevertheless, he

always insists firmly on those details

which are essential in order to create

structures

which

he considers will

have

both

his personal stamp and a

universal appeal Whether he is

successful

or

otherwise has

to

be

judged by the observer from the steel

structures

which

he has conceived

and built. For my part, I

think

that

Peter

Rice

usually is .

J

Locke Watson Steel

Structural Steelwork Contractor

Manchester England

5



6



BUILDINGS ND

PROJE TS

CHRONOLOGY

1957

Sydney Opera House, Sydney,

Austral ia

Architect: Jorn Utzon,

Hall Todd

Littlemore, Hanson Todd Pty Ltd,

New South Wales Government , C.P.

Wedderburn

Rudder Littlemore

Rudder

Pty

td

Consulting Engineers: Ove Ar

up

Partners

1967

Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

Architect : Renton Howard Wood

Associates

Consulting Engineers: Ove

Arup

Partners

1969

Amberley Road

Children

's Home,

London

Arch itect : Renton Howard Wood

Associates


Arup

Partners

Henrion Associates Consultancy

Advice


Partners

197

National

Sports Centre, Crystal

Palace, London

Proposals for a new stadium roof

structure

Arch itect: Greater London Council


Arup

Partners

Circus 70 Victoria Embankment,

London

Arch itect: Casson Conder Partners


Arup

Partners

New Arts

Centre

Warwick

University, Coventry

Architect: Renton Howard Wood

Levin Partnership


Arup

Partners

Perspex spiral sta ircase, Jeweller's

Shop, Jermyn Street, London

Architect:

Godfrey

H.

George

P.

Grima

Consulting Engineers:

Ove Arup

Partners

Super Grimentz Ski Village Valois,

Switzerland

A new ski village for 5000 visitors,

including a skating rink, swimm ing

pool

and car park

Architect : Godfrey H. George P.

Grima


Arup

Partners

1971

Conference Centre Mecca

Architect: Rolf Gutbrod Architects


Arup

Partners

Special structures advice

to

Frei Otto

and

o t h ~ s on

pneumatic and

cable

structures i ncl ud ng

'The

City

in

the

Arctic '

Architect: Frei Otto


Arup

Partners

Centre Pompidou, Paris

Architect: Piano Rogers


Arup

Partners

St Katharine Dock, London

Architect: Renton Howard Wood

Levin Partnership


Ove Arup

Partners

7



1972

World Trade Centre, London

Conversion of

St

Katharine Dock

House

Arch itect : Renton

Howa

rd Wood

Associates


Ove rup

Partners

1976

Johannesburg Jumbo Jet

Hangar

,

South Africa , project


rup

Partners

1977

Shelter Span

Peter Rice Consulting Engineer

Fruili Housing, Italy

Architect :' Renzo Piano

Bu

ild ing

Workshop


rup

Partners

Pilkington study

Study

to

carry

out

prototype

development of roofing units using

gloss fibre reinforced cement

Architect: Richard Rogers Partners


rup

Partners

8

1978

Hammersmith Interchange, London

Architect : Foster Associates


rup

Partners

Lloyds of London Redevelopment, City

of London

Architect: Rcha rd Rogers Partners


Ove rup

Partners

Industrial ised construction system for

Vibrocemento , Perug io, Italy

Piano

Rice

II

Rigo

Quortier

, Perug io, Italy

Piano Rice

Fiat VSS Experimental Vehicle , Turin,

Italy

Piano Rice

Fleetguord, Quimper, Fronce


Consulting Engineers: Ove rup

Partners

Potscentre, Pr inceton, NJ, USA



Partners

1979

Victoria C ircus Shopping Centre,

Southend-on-Seo,

Esse

x

Architect : lan Stanton


Partners

Educational Television Programme ,

RI Televis ion : The Open Site

Piano

Rice

An experiment in Urban

Reconstruct ion for UNESCO, Otronto

Piano

Rice

198

Desi

gn

for

Surano Island , Venice

Piano

Rice

Fabric roof canopy, Schlumberger

Headquarters, Montrouge, Fronce

Architect : Renzo Piano Atel ier de

Paris


Partners

1981

Serres

and

Toiture Accueil de lo Cite

des

Sc

iences et lndustrie, Lo Villette

Architect : drien Foinsilber

Consulting Engineers: RFR and

Ove

Arup Partners



IBM Pavilion

Architect : Renzo Piano Building

Workshop


Arup

Partners

Stansted

Airport

Terminal Building

Architect: Foster Associates


Ove

Arup

Partners

Menil Collection Museum, Houston,

Texas


Workshop


Partners

982

Alexander Pavilion, London

Architect: Terry Farrell


Partners

Peter Rice Consulting Engineer

983

Alton Towers, Alton, Staffordshire

Jet Star 2 Building

Architect: Griffin Jones Associates


Partners

Clifton Nurseri

es

roof, Covent

Garden , London

Architect: Terry Farrell


Arup

Partners

Pavilions, Tate Gallery, London

Architect : Alan Stanton


Ove

Arup

Partners

984

l

22 St John Street, London

Architect : Eva

Jiricn6


Ove Arup

Partners

Environment and motorway Berlin,

West Germany

Feasibility study for motorway

acoustic protection system + solar

heating for adjacent properties

Architect: Pascal Shonning


Partners

Ballsports stadium, Berlin ,

Germany

Architect: Christoph Langhof

Architekten


Partners

985

Emplacement, North Queensferry,

Lothian, Scotland

Architect : Ian Ritchie Architects


Partners

Louvre, Paris

Design

of

steel structure to carry a

glass roof over courtyards

Architect: l.M .Pei with Michel Macary

Lord's Mound Stand, London

Architect: Michael Hopkins Partners


Arup

Partners

Aztec West Reception Building

Bristol

Architect : Michael Hopkins Architects


Partners

Roy Square, Narrow Street, London

Architect :

Ian

Ritchie Architects


Partners

Atrium roof, Conflans, Saint Honore

France

Architect : Valode et Pistre


Partners

9



986

Fabric

Canopy

St Louis/Bosle,

Fronce

Architect : Aeroport de Paris/Paul

Andreu

T ete Defense, Lo Defense, Paris,

Nuoge Leger

Architect:

J.O.

Spreckelsen

and

Aeroport de Paris/Paul

Andreu


Partners and R R

Nuoge Parvis, Paris Lo Defense

Architect: J.O. Spreckelsen and

Aeroport de Paris/Paul

Andreu


R R

and Ove

Arup

Partners

Posserelle Lintos, Paris

Architect:

More

Held

Consulting Engineers: R R

Goleries

du

Pore

de

Lo Villette, Paris

Architect: Bernard Tschumi


Central House, Whitechopel High

Street, London

Architect : Ion Ritchie Architects


Ove Arup

Partners

5

Football Stadium, Bari, Italy


Workshop


Arup

Partners

IBM 'Ladybird ' Travelling Exhibition,

Italy

Architect: Renzo Piano Building

Workshop


Arup

Partners

Apartment

for

John Young, London

Architect: John Young


Arup

Partners

Opera Bastille, Paris

Studies for acoustic ceiling

Architect: Carlos Ott


Usine Centre, Epone, Fronce

Steel warehouse hypermarket

structure



Ove Arup

Partners

Usine Centre, Nantes, Loire-

Atlontique, Fronce

Steel warehouse

hypermarket

structure

Architect : Richard Rogers Partners


Arup

Partners

Floating Restaurant, Jubilee Gardens,

London


Consulting Engineers : Ove

Arup

Partners

European Synchotron Radiation

Facility,

Grenoble

Fronce

Architect : Renzo Piano Atelier

de

Paris


Ove

Arup

Partners

987

Pore Citroen Cevennes, Greenhouses,

Paris

Architect : Patrick Berger


Posserelles Front

de

Seine, Paris

Design

and




Couverture du

Choteou

de Foloise,

Normandy

Architect: Decoris


RFR

Verriere,

Musee

des Beaux Arts de

Clermont-Ferrand

Architect: A Foinsilber and

Gaillard


RFR

Solle Polyvolente, Nancy, Fronce

Design for 70 metre span coble

broced roof

Architect: Foster Associates


Partners

58 metre Motor yacht

Computer aided design work for the

stability of the yacht

Naval Architects :

Mortin

Francis


Partners

Rovenno Sports

Holl

Rovenno, Italy

Architect: Renzo Pi

ano Bu

ild ing

Workshop


Partners

Competition for

Aircraft hangars

Abu

Dhabi ,

United

Arab Emirates

Architects : Aeroport de Paris/ Paul

Andreu

Consulting

Engineers: RFR and Ove

Arup Partners

Azobu Tomigoyo Structure,

Tokyo

Architect : Zoho Hodid

Consulting

Engineers : Ove Arup

Partners

Office/ apartment block, Lecco, Italy


Workshop

Consulting

Engineers: Ove Arup

Partners

G .R.

C.

Mossy, Essone, Fronce


Consulting

Engineers : Ove Arup

Partners

UNESCO Laboratory/Building

Workshop

Genoa

, Italy


Workshop


Partners

Atrium , Offices

for

Bull, Avenue

Gombetto Paris

Architect : Volode et Pistre

Consulting Eng ineers:

RFR

and Ove

Arup Partners

988

Lo

Grande

Nef Tete Defense, Paris

Architect: Jeon-Pierre Buffi


RFR

TGV/

RER

Charles de Gaulle , Roissy

Architect:

Aeroport

de Paris/ Paul

Andreu

Consultin_g Engineers :

RFR

and Ove

Arup Partners

Tours de Liberte, Paris

Architect : Hennin et Norm ier

Consulting

Engineers:

RFR

and Ove

Arup Partners

Focode de lo B.P.O .A. Rennes

Architect: 0. Decq + B. Cornette


RFR

Fronconville , Fronce

Architect : Cuno

Brullmon

d'Arch itects

and Arnaud Fougeros Lovergnolle

Architects

Consulting

Engineers: Ove Arup

Partners

5



Spiders

'

Webs

Research Project

Zoologist

:

Dr

Fritz Vollrath


Ove Arup &

Partners

Office building,

Stockley Park, London



Ove Arup &

Partners

Kurfurstendamm, Berlin,

Germany

Facade study

Architect : Zaha Hadid, Stefan Schroth


Arup

&

Partners

and R R

Mitsubishi Tokyo Forum,

Competition

Architect: Richard Rogers

Partnership

Ltd


Ove Arup

&

Partners

New East

Gallery,

Natural History

Museum, London



Arup &

Partners

54

Villette Serre Study, Serres de La

Villette, Paris

Architect: Kathryn Gustafson


Partners

Utsurohi,

La

Defense, Paris, France.

Sculpture

Artist : Iyo

Miyawaki


Ove Arup &

Partners

199

Competition for Station Square,

Oberhausen, Germany

Design Engineering :

R R

Auvent et Facades

du

CNIT, Paris


R R

Campanile,

Place d'ltalie, Paris

IMAX Cinema and Leisure Building,

Liverpool

Architect: Richard Rogers Partnership


Partners

Groningen Museum, Groningen ,

Holland

Preliminary study

of

structure

of

roof

Architect : Alessandro Mendini

Artist : Frank Stella

Consulting Engineers : Ove Arup &

Partners

Padre Pio Chi ' sa,

St

Giovann i

Rotondo, Puglia, Italy


Workshop


Partners

Tower structure with sculpture Centre Culture de la Pierre Plantee

Architect : Kenzo Tonge, Macary,

Menu

Bibliotheque, Vitrolles, France

Artist/ Sculptor: Thierry Vide Architect: Ian Ritchie Architects


Ove

Arup

&


Ove

Ar

up

&

Partners Partners

Atrium roof

,

Grand

Ecran, Place

d ltalie

, Paris

Architect : Kenzo Tange


R R

Mobile Sculpture, Genoa 500

Artist : Sasumo Shing


Ove Arup

&

Partners



Development

of gloss system with

Asahi Gloss,

Japan

Design :

RFR and Ove Arup

Partners

99

Aeroport

Charles de

Gaulle

Terminal

3, Roissy, Fronce

Architect : Aeroport

de

Paris/ Paul

Andreu


RFR

Atrium

Centre D'Art Conlemporoin ,

Luxembourg

Arch

itect :

I

M .

Pe

i


RFR

Lamp

post,

Esch

sur Alzette,

Luxembourg

Architect and Town Planner:

Prof. Sievents

Desi

gn and

engineering:

RFR

Pyromide lnversee,

Grand

Louvre,

Paris

Inverted gloss

pyramid

sculpture

suspended over

underground

public

circulation area

at

museum

Architect : I

M. Pei

Consulting Engineers: RFR

Japan Bridge, Paris

Arch itect: Kisho

Kurokawa


RFR and Ove

Arup

Partners

Piscine, Levollois Perret

Architect :

Cuno

Brullmon


Rempe R4/T4, Pore

de

lo Vi llette

Architect: Bernard Tschumi


Posserelle, Monies-lo-Jolie

Architect:

Michel Mccory


RFR

Ligne

Meteor

Architect: Bernard Kohn


Aerogore de

Luxembourg

Architect: Poczowski


Hotel Module d'Echonges, Roissy ,

Fronce

Architect :

Aeroport de

Paris

and

Paul

Andreu


RFR

Cothedrole

Notre Dome

de lo Treille,

Lille, Fronce

Arch itect: Pierre-Louis Corlier

and

Artist

L

Kinjo


Bus Fluvioux, Lyon

Architect: Semoly


Technocentre Renault,

Guyoncourt

,

Fronce

Architect:

Volode

et Pistre

Engineeri ng : Ove

Arup

Partners

and

RFR

Lille TGV Station, Lille Roof design

Architect: SNCF Jeon-Morie Duthilleul


Arup

Partners

and

RFR

Demountable pavilion , Museum of the

Moving Image

, London SE 1

Architect: Future Systems


Ove Arup

Partners

Brau Brunnen Tower, Berlin,

Germany



Ove Arup

Partners



Atr

i

um

glaz ing , 5

Avenue

Montaigne

, Paris, France

Architect : 0 . Vidal

Consulting Engineer

s

RFR

Atrium

for new Renault

Headquarters

Architect: Valode et Pistre

Consulting Engineers : RFR

Grand

Louvre, Louvre

Museum

, Paris

Natural lighti

ng

system

for

new

museum

Architect:

Pe

i Cobb Freed Partners

Consult

i

ng

Engineers: Ove Arup

Partners

Ajaccio Airport

Architect: Aeroport de Paris

and

Paul

Andreu


Glazing

for

Dig ital

Headquarters

,

Geneva , Switzerland

Technical assistance

to SIV

, Italy


RFR

Fabric Sculpture, Sainsbury's,

Plymouth, Devon

Architect : Dix

on

Jones


Partners

6

992

Facade pour l'extension du Palais de

Congres, Paris

Architect :

Olivier

Clement


Passerelle, Levallo is-Perret, France

Architect : Caubel

Consult i

ng

Engineers : RFR

Atrium ,

Museum

of

Modern

Art,

Strasbourg

Architect: Adrien Fainsilber


Albert, France

Architect: Ian Ritchie Architects

Consulting

Engineers: Ove Arup

Partners

PETER RI E



Peter Rice was born in

Ireland

and

studied engineering at Queens

University in Belfast and Imperial

College. He

joined

Ove Arup

&

Partners in 1956 and since then hos

advised on the design of some

of

the

most significant buildings of our time.

He become a Director

of

Ove Arup

&

Partners in 1978 . Between 1977 and

1979 he was a Portner of Piano

Rice

and he hos been a Director of RFR in

Paris and the Ove Arup Partnership

since 1984 .

Peter

Rice

's work hos been

characterised by on innovative use of

materials . Some

of

the

more

important projects he hos worked on

hove included the Sydney Opera

House where he was resident

engineer on site in the 1960s; Centre

Pompidou

, Paris with architects Piano

and Rogers, where he was the

designer of the steel structure and

introduced

the use

of

cost steel; the

Gloss Serre

at

the

Museum of Sc

ien

ce

and Industry,

Lo

Villette , Paris, with

the architect

Adrien Fo

insilber; the

Mound Stand

at

Lords, London

working with architect Michael

Hopkins and Partners; Lloyds of

London, designed by the Richard

Rogers Partnership; the Menil

Museum

Houston , Texas,

where

he

explored the use

of

ductile iron and

ferro-cement; the Son Nicolo Football

Stad ium Bari, Italy and the BIGO

sculptural symbol of the Colombo '92

Festiv

al

,

Genoa

, Ita ly,

all

with Renzo

Piano Building Workshop, Genova ,

Italy; Kansai International A ir port

Terminal , Osako , Japan with Renzo

Piano Building Workshop ,

Japan

and

the fabric 'Clouds ' at the Grande

Arch, Paris with architects

J 0 .

Spreckelsen and P. And reu. A recent

project, the Pavilion of the Future in

Expo '92 Seville,

Spain

explores the

use

of

stone in on

original

structural

way. The architects were Martorell

Bohigos MocKoy . Studies of des igns

for natural

lighting

for new galleries

at the Louvre, Paris, and the gloss

enclosures to the Sculpture

Courtyards Paris, were recently

developed in close collaboration with

I

M.

Pei

Architects ,

New

York

.

In 1988 Peter

Rice

was mode on

Honorary Fellow

of

the Royal Institute

of British Architects

and

two years

later on Honorary Member of the

Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland .

He was awarded

Lo

Medoille

d'Argent de lo Societe

d'

Encourogement

pour l'lndustrie

Notionole

in 1987 and in 1989

received

Lo

Medoille d'Argent de lo

Recherche et de lo Technique from

the Acodemie d'Architecture. He was

joint author with Hugh Dutton

of

'

Le

Verre Structure ' published by Editions

du

Mon

iteur in 1990 and hos been a

contributor to numerous international

books and journals on architecture,

design and engineering .

Peter hos been on

examiner

at the

Architectural Association and the

Royal College of Art in London . He

hos also been a

port-time

tutor in

Design at the Engineering Deportment

of

Cambridge

Un iversity .

7



We ore extremely grateful to many people working in

many places for their enthusiastic collaboration ,

generosity and help in the preporation of this catalogue

and the exhibition Exploring

Mater

ial

s

.

PR/ BC

June 992

Th is catalogue and the exhibition Exploring Materials

held at the

RIBA

Gallery were prepared

by

the

Ove Arup Parlnersh ip

RIBA Catalog2

Documents

Transcript of RIBA Catalog2