Structural Design of the DRL-10 Space Pavilion

Abstract

The “Design Research Laboratory (DRL)-10 space pavilion” has been built in the early 2008 on Bedford Square, London, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the DRL Department at the Architectural Association Architecture School. The pavilion has been a great success and it has attracted huge interest in the architectural scene as well as in the general public. The pavilion consists of 850 individually cut fiber reinforced panels and over 2,000 joints. Its complex geometry was controlled by architects Alan Dempsey and Alvin Huang using a highly parametrized digital model. This paper is written from the point of view of the structural engineer, challenged not only by the complex geometry but also by the rather uncommon application of fiber reinforced concrete as a construction material. Physical tests on the proprietary fiber-C elements by Austrian firm Rieder as well as tests on their joints are described. Further, the paper gives information on the structural model and insight to a number of structural options that have been investigated during the design process.