Changing Morphology in Tubular Structures

摘要

In this contribution tubular structures are considered from the point of view of a designer, who combines architectural design with structural design and industrial design. In his practice design is combined with development and research and all preparation activities are combined with those of production and realisation on the building site. Morphology, being the science of form, plays its role everywhere in the design process. It is present in the initial stage, in the final design and in the engineering. But on the other hand both on the level of global form finding of the complete building as an artefact and on the level of the composing building parts it plays a role up to the composing components and elements, in the detailing and in fact also in the choice of materials. In the last decade a remarkable change in attitude towards morphology has taken place in the minds of some of the most avant garde architects. This usually concerns the overall building form. However, designing and developing form is just one of the many aspects in an integrated design process in which many aspects with mutual influences are involved. For an architect, morphology as an isolated item is not very interesting as in the design process it has to match many other considerations and usually will be compromised. Structural morphology is interesting in so far as it poses the opportunity of developing new types of structures from a morphological point of view. Tubular structures offer an excellent opportunity to create efficient structures as well structures with a high spatial impact. From the design and build praxis of the author a number of new types of recent structures following the 'tensegrity' principle and making use of stainless steel tensile rods and tubular steel and in some cases even tubular glass compression bars are presented for ultra slender roof and facade structures covered with transparent glass panels.