Monday, July 22, 2013

Zibaldone 11

Q: What holds a building up?


A: Traditionally, brick has been used in architecture as a structural element. The material is abundant, modular, economic, ecologic and incredibly strong in compression. However, in the example of the Tate Modern, designed by Herzog and De Meuron, brick is expressed as a permeable screen. So what holds the building up? In this case, a network of reinforced concrete columns and beams make up the ‘bones’ of the building. Precast concrete lintels and pins are also attached to the structure, allowing for windows and keeping the brick screen in place.

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