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Technology as a Means of Expression in the Nineteenth Century – Architects and Engineers in Dialogue
... The master builders such as Eduardo Torroja, Pier Luigi Nervi, Heinz Isler, Sergio Musmeci, Felix Candela, and Frei Otto also practised similar concepts regarding structural art. They formed a group of engineers concerned with the architectural significance of structures that emerged in the mid-twentieth century, later dubbed "engineer-architects" [10]. 3 For example, in Aesthetics and technology in building, Nervi presented the term "correctness," which refers to the bare minimum that should be attained in architecture, is defined further as stability, durability, and material selection according to their natural features as well as functional and economic efficiency [11]. ...
Structural art should not be marginalised as an integral part of structural design. By reviewing historical understandings of structural art, this article discusses the ambiguous and neglected perspective of structural art on architectural design and human perception dimensions, concentrating the attention of structural art on the question of human aesthetic perception. Based on significant changes in how art is perceived due to recent neuroaesthetics research, this article introduces recent findings from cognitive neuroscience regarding embodied perception principles, sheds new light on the aesthetic experiences inherent in the built environment, and clarifies and expands previously held beliefs about structural art. Finally, while emphasising the significance of structural art, this article attempts to provide a body-informed perspective on structural art that can aid in incorporating human neuroaesthetic perception principles during the conceptual phase of the structural design process, thereby redefining the effect of structures on architectural space and aesthetics, thus redefining structural art.
... To overcome these limitations, some architect-engineers like Felix Candela, Pierluigi Nervi and Eduaro Torroja, have attempted to use a descriptive geometrical type, the hyperbolic paraboloid (hypar) as a new prototype for building forms (Pogacnik [10]). Due to hypars' doubly curved and doubly ruled shapes, they have advantages in different aspects: high structural stiffness, rich aesthetic potentials and constructional convenience (Bechthold [1]). ...
This research aims to develop a form-making method based on hyperbolic paraboloids (hypars), which creates forms possessing both architectural aesthetics and structural efficiency. Hypars can be considered as prototypical examples for the correlation of architectural and structural design by means of geometry. In this paper, a method based on graphic statics is introduced to analyze the structural behavior of general hypars disposed in any arbitrary positions in space. This method illustrates the interplay between structural behaviors and geometric forms of hypars, which is relatively easy to operate and understand. In view of these analysis, the design strategy based on combinations of hypars is proposed with an example.
With increased interest in materials and construction in the architectural field, the use of building structure as the element of architectural expression has gained interest in recent years. In his analysis of contemporary Swiss architecture, Arthur Rüegg has coined the notion of ‘Strong Structures’ for the tendency to activate a load-bearing structure for spatial and conceptual expression. The article applies this notion to the works of renowned Japanese architect Kazuo Shinohara, who has influenced many prominent Swiss figures in the debate over ‘Strong Structures.’ By conducting phenomenological research on his experimental practices in House in White, Tanikawa House, and House in Uehara, the article examines how Shinohara used the organisation of structural elements and relations to express the architectural and cultural context. Finally, by contrasting the structural design methods used in Switzerland and Japan, this article aims to introduce a relational structure design mindset in order to complement and extend the concept of ‘Strong Structures’, which can enrich structural design by focusing on the art of structural relations.
The integration of structure and architecture is gaining increasingly more attention with the development of building materials and construction techniques. It is in this context that the concept of "Strong Structures" was born in the modern Swiss architectural discourse to explore the balance between technology and art in structural design. "Strong" stands for multiplicity and transcendence， with the intention of allowing the structure to go beyond its load-bearing property while at the same time fundamentally shaping the form and space. This paper clarifies the concept of "Strong Structures"， the exploration and cooperation between the structural engineer and architects， and the comparison between the material and spatial representation of two building cases， attempts to provide a different perspective for the current structural and architectural design in China.
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