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Metamorphosing Industrial Structures

Construction of Incidents



Based on Bernd and Hilla Becher’s Photography   2019

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location:
chair: 
   
mentors:
   
year:
associate:
diverse
Chair for Building Typologies
RWTH Aachen   
Univ.-Prof.Anne-Julchen Bernhardt
Marius Grootveld   
2019
Alessandra Esposito

Building on what has already been learned by analysing the Royal Church of San Lorenzo in Turin and studying the elemental language of the edifice, the course examined industrial structures that, in their origins, share close similarities to the Gothic and Baroque architectural styles. The entities were selected from Hilla and Bernd Bechers series of photographic images of industrial structures.

Just as in Gothic and Baroque designs, the selected constellations/systems present elements that have the same origin and are closely related to each other. The question we asked ourselves was: How will the structure react when its industrial language is substituted by that of the Gothic one? The original appearance of the structure was to remain legible in its essence.

Using 3D software, digital models were generated enabling this study to be carried out. The typical industrial profiles were replaced by Gothic ones, applying the logic of the Middle Ages, namely that each element has its origin in the previous one.
Copperhill Mines, Tennessee Shaft, Tennessee, USA 1983 Copperhill Mines, Tennessee Shaft, Tennessee, USA 1983 TranslationCopperhill Mines, Tennessee Shaft, Tennessee, USA 1983 TranslationCopperhill Mines, Tennessee Shaft, Tennessee, USA 1983 The shaft headframe's top harbors the pulley wheel, where the trolley crane scaffold is held by a diagonal IPE-beam and also by a gusset plate from the bearing structure above. The diagonal IPE-beam has a similar form language as a flying gothic buttress. In the intervention the steel bearing construction is replaced by a buttress, where in a form of a pinnacle one vertical element helds the trolley crane scaffold. The metal joints are replaced by a purpose-built tone elements. In the whole steel structure most of the joints are made out of gusset plates, where two or more elements are using the same gusset. The two systems (the concrete and the steel one) coexist as two autonomous systems working together. After replacing the steel profils with stone ones the dimentions have slightly changed. The stone tracery collides with the monumental structure. As in the gothic or in the romanesque churches of France despite the different tectonic of the structures it seems like they are supporting each other and come into existence together. The slabs of the original construction are supported by the steel vertical beams and are also lying in the voids of the horizontal beams. Extra support is also given by the concrete structure. To support the slabs in the intervention and to still keep the gothic language, additional stone elements were added. The usage of profils with same original allowed to keep the flowing natural movement of the profils within the structure. In order to make the transition between the diagonal steel part and the concrete one the original structure proposes an additional metal join which keeps both systems together. In consideration of the analisys of gothic architecture, and mainly the way of merging elemets, the intervention proses a purpose-built stone element as a joint. The profile of the stone skeleton is slowly transforming into a monumental supporting system. Detail of the purpose-built stone element where the profile of the tracery flows into the monumental supporting system. The original industrial structure unites two different tectonic languages - the one of a monolit concrete formation and the other of a filigran steel skeleton. By reason of the smooth and sattuled design of the concrete part and the straight rectangular language of the skeletton, they coexist in harmony. In order to presevere this logic the monumental part took elements of a romanesque church with more rectangular tectonic. The steel structure was turned into an agglomeration of gothic perpendicular traceries, which have its origin from the primary structure and is slowly taking the gothic logic in the hight.

Friedensville Mine, Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA 1974 Friedensville Mine, Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA 1974 TranslationFriedensville Mine, Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA 1974 TranslationFriedensville Mine, Center Valley, Pennsylvania, USA 1974 The roof of the original structure is supported by steel beams made of different sizes. The join of double T beams gives to the structure a saddled roof, that is moreover substained by a kind of belt, made by thinner steel beams running around the shaft tower. The roof intervention instead consists of an addition of wooden beam layers, collocated vertically and rotated in each level by 90 degrees. This example can be seen also in Schinkels project „Roman Baths“ at the Sanssouci garden situated in Potsdam. The moment where the diagonal substaining structure runs into the shaft is a come together of two different constructions, that even though present an uniform overall picture of the industrial building. On one hand the diagonal structure is supported by several steel crossings connected by gusset plates. On the other hand the vertical screened structure, composed by repetitions of same elements from the bottom to the top of the shaft. The idea to have two different languages crossing into eachother is represented as well in the intervention of the shaft tower. This time the material wood is used and for this reason it was necessary to think of a new construction system. The inspiration for that was the roof of the Westminster Parliament, that consists of wooden diagonal elements in repetition, that happens also in the industrial case. At the basepoint of the building the diagonal and the vertical element share a double T beam, that has the function to support both sides. The two elements of the industrial structure were designed separatly. The result of the combination of both is almost the same as the original structure, only that now the shaft gets a cornice, that in fact is part of the diagonal supporting structure. A screen made of a repetition of horizontal elements forms the façade. These are again holded by thin vertical steel beams. The diagonal structure can for this reason run behind the façade without touching the filigrane steel construction. The wood beams of the horizontal structure are collocated in double version with a void in between in one direction. The doubled beam allows the supporting structure to go through them and holds them together. The wooden beam, designed by Schinkel in the project „Roman Baths“ in Potsdam, was a reference for the constructional solution.


Copperhill Mines, Cherokee Shaft, Tennessee, USA 1983 Copperhill Mines, Cherokee Shaft, Tennessee, USA 1983 TranslationCopperhill Mines, Cherokee Shaft, Tennessee, USA 1983 TranslationCopperhill Mines, Cherokee Shaft, Tennessee, USA 1983 The conveyor tower consists mainly of a filigrane structure, up to a certain point where several belts are introduced. This solid elements keep the hole system in balance, despite the fact that the hole structure is considered to be a lighten one. The belts are now accentuated by a gothical decoration and they still surround the middle part of the shaft. The diagonal belt was intentionally omitted to not discompose the rythm of the thin window profiles. The two intersecting systems are blending into each other because of the common beams that both of them are using. So also if the shaft consists of various elements built in other steps, it can be considered as a single standing element. The steel structure is made of typical gothic profiles, that can be mostly seen on church windows. This system is repeated on all the shaft for an uniform image and for this reason also the intersection of the different elements looks homogeneous like this showen above. The original structure proposes a random way of joining element (probably by welding) and allows them to cross each other. The intervention also allows an intersection in order to keep its language as close to the original structure as possible. Because of the origin of the profiles that were used, the horizontal and the diagonal elements belong to each other letting the intersection appear more fluent. On the top of the industrial structure the filigrane construction ends and gives way to a plattform made by four double T beams and two plattforms that allow to walk over it. The rope sheave is placed into the plattform and this is cutted out, to allow the sheave to move. The intervention kept the image of the original belt, that crowns the shaft. The platform, as a gothic church, that has a balustrade on top, is decorated with traditional gothic elements. The recess, where the sheave is placed, is from the inside decorated as well, so it seems that one belt is running around the plateau, with front and back jumps.

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