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2012International Magazine

ISSN 1363-0148

www.galvanizing.org.uk

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Online oder im

iPad App Store

the Cube, Birmingham: Jewel-Like Box | 2 BBC Roath lock Studios: neo-Gothic Façade | 6 Scharnhauser Sports park: Solar-powered terrace | 9 Rise, Belfast: art and engineering in harmony | 10

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inG Editorial

2012 has been a momentous year in the publishing life of HDG

magazine. We have seen the launch of a brand new design, the

emergence of an ipad version (available on the Apple App store)

and a change of editor. i hope you agree that this has led to a more

interesting and pleasurable read.

Although the economic climate continues to provide a gloomy

outlook, it is heartening to see that the creativity and ingenuity

of our designers continues to shine through. this is wonderfully

expressed by “the Cube” in Birmingham, our first article. the

jewel-like structure has helped to open up the heart of the city

centre and features a fretwork screen that amazingly spans the

outer edge of the building.

A new studio complex for the

BBC displays a more playful

form of design. the 300m

clip-on, neo-gothic façade for

the outer skin of the building

attempts to create a link

with the theatrical nature of

its intended use; filming of

Doctor Who and Casualty.

Much is said about the value

of art within the public realm.

“Rise” in Belfast sets itself a

very high bar of achievement; that of creating community cohesion.

Even if this is not reached you have to admire the engineering that

has been part of its creation.

Surely it’s only a matter of time before the gloom is blown away.

iqbal Johal, Editor

A year of change

Hot Dip Galvanizing – An international journal published jointly

by the galvanizing associations of Germany and Great Britain. it is

licensed to associations in Spain.

Edited by: i. Johal, G. Deimel, H. Glinde (Editor in Chief), . Published by: Galvanizers Association, Wren‘s Court, 56 Victoria Road,

Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1SY, UK;

tel: +44 (0) 121 355 8838, Fax: +44 (0) 121 355 8727,

E-Mail: ga@hdg.org.uk, internet: www.galvanizing.org.uk

Distributed in Australia by: Galvanizers Association of Australia,

124 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia, tel: 039 6541266,

Fax: 039 6541136, E-mail: gaa@gaa.com.au

this magazine may not be copied without the written permisson of the editor

© 2012

Photo front cover | Zander Olsen, Make Architects

Over the years, many attempts have been made to transform

the centre of Birmingham. in fact, if you have not visited the

city for a number of years it is now virtually unrecognisable

from just a decade ago. The transformation of Birmingham is

ongoing with its new library and railway station. The city that

had been locked within itself by a network of roads, has now

opened up, and is growing in confidence in its heritage both

modern and historical.

the Cube is a 25-storey mixed-use development in the city centre. its

brief called for the design of a distinctly new type of mixed-use building

in Birmingham that was also an architectural landmark. Designed by

Make Architects, and engineered by Buro Happold, it contains 135

flats,10,359 m2 of offices, shops, a hotel and a skyline restaurant.

The Cube BirminghamJewel-Like Box

by Iqbal Johal

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The Cube Birmingham

1 | Aerial view of The Cube

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the canal-side location provides an emblematic gateway building that will link into the new

library of Birmingham and the redevelopment of New Street Station. it is apt that the building‘s

architects are led by Birmingham-born Ken Shuttleworth who has stated that it was a great

opportunity for him to evoke the city’s industrial heritage.

“the cladding for me tries to reflect the heavy industries of Birmingham which i remember as a

kid, the metal plate works and the car plants - and the inside is very crystalline, all glass; that to

me is like the jewellery side of Birmingham, the lightbulbs and delicate stuff - it tries to reflect the

essence of Birmingham in the building itself.” A key element of the brief from the city planners

was to continue the opening up of the city with the inclusion of a new public route into the city

centre through the site, connecting the canal path and bridge to further urban regeneration to the

west. Make’s full-access design introduces a dynamic mix of retail, office, apartment and hotel

uses in a single building – a city within a city.

the 25-storey Cube was conceived as an ornate jewel-box that was carved out, architecturally,

to create an atrium and central courtyard. the Cube has three elements: the ‘crown’, housing the

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Architect | Make Architects, LondonPhotos | Crew Photography (1) Make Architects (2, 3, 4) Client| Birmingham Development Company LtdEngineer| Buro HappoldSteel Fabricator| Bourne Steel

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city’s first panoramic rooftop restaurant; the central cube, containing

offices, apartments and a hotel; and a glazed plinth with shops and

restaurants around the courtyard. Beneath is a three-level automated

car park.

An important element of the design for one of the faces of the Cube

that formed part of the residential levels and courtyard apartments,

was that of maximising light filtration and provision of interesting

views. this led to the concept of cutting away parts of this façade.

in order to keep the cubic form visually complete, a fretwork screen

spans across the open segment of the Cube, enclosing the open cour-

tyard and apartment terraces behind. this 50 m-wide screen structure

is designed as a net which continues the pixilated pattern of the clad-

ding.

Remarkably, there is no single uninterrupted line which runs vertically

or horizontally. Rather, the fretwork is composed entirely of elements

which turn at 90° angles to coalesce as cruciform outlines and over-

lapping rectangles. Make, Buro Happold and Bourne Steel worked

together iteratively to design and build a structure which meets these

unique aesthetic ambitions. the use of steel allowed this freedom

to the designers. the beams and columns of the screen are clad

with aluminium panels to match the rest of the cladding, but as these

panels were not watertight, galvanized steel was used to protect the

steel components to achieve this outdoor sculptural element.

Suspended from a large truss which spans the outer edge of the buil-

ding, the fretwork is secured to a series of movement joints which

allow for its expansion and contraction due to wind and temperature

changes. this heavy duty ‘lacework’ is calculated to deflect up to

300mm at its highest levels.

2 | Fretwork framing the Birmingham skyline

3 | Galvanized steel forming the complex fretwork structure

4 | NW elevation of the building

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BBC Roath Lock Studios

The Roath lock Studios are a major new Tv production location for the BBC, other-

wise known as the new home of Dr Who. it comprises a 3.6ha production village

situated in Roath Basin, a 20ha area of former industrial land in Cardiff.

the production village consists of eight studio facilities with outdoor filming spaces together

with adjacent supporting facilities comprising reception, café, editing suits, AV facilities and over

27,500 sq ft of new office space. the entire front elevation of the office building is visible from

across Roath Basin, formed by a 300 m-long coloured render and timber façade.

For this project, FAt developed a façade using motifs which reference the dock warehouses,

wave forms and the gothic architecture of Cardiff. the playful façade, seen across the dock from

the Bay - Cardiff‘s new town centre - reinforces the civic connection between the city and its

waterfront and creates a unique and highly theatrical architectural element and strong silhou-

ette against the skyline. the project started as a joint venture between igloo, a real-estate fund

managed by Aviva investors, and the Welsh Government. their plan entailed a mixed-use deve-

lopment that was compromised by the credit crunch. the plan has been partly resurrected by the

development of a creative quarter.

From the outside, the 170,00 sq ft studio complex looks like a relatively basic 300m-long shed.

But FAt has given what could have been a standard steel box a rather theatrical treatment. Sean

Griffiths, director and co-founder of FAt, explains: “tV studios are an introverted kind of building,

so the ultra-decoration is a way of mediating or expressing the worlds that are created within it

outwards to the city.”

Neo-Gothic Façade

1 | View of frontloaded façade for BBC in Cardiff Bay

2 | Neo-Gothic splendour of the main entrance

by Iqbal Johal

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As the buildings will host the filming of Doctor Who and Casualty, ele-

ments of the façade suggest both the fantastical worlds of the former

– especially the neo-Gothic splendour of the main entrance – and the

‘everyday aesthetic’ of the latter – hence the crosses cut into the tim-

ber planks.

the façade for the new BBC drama production facility in Cardiff Bay

is frontloaded design at its most extreme: architecture condensed into

a single plane. its a clip-on, 300 metre-long, half-metre thick timber

screen with abstract, cut-outs – of rose windows, crosses, gothic

patterns – and a GRp centrepiece. Dewdrop ‘drips’ enhance the ele-

vation at eye level. the façade is the only bit of the BBC building, it

has actually designed, the rest, including the offices, cafeteria and

vast sheds housing studios and sets, was produced by Holder Mathias

Architects.

the 300 m-long façade is supported via two galvanized steel frames,

the first supporting the substantial main internal skin of the façade

while a secondary structure supports the cut-out motifs that create the

external face of the structure.

Sean Griffiths calls it a “figural section, a slice, extrusion, fragment or

surface for information, offering a rich but non-expressive, deadpan or

objective form of communication“. Behind the façade, there’s a strip

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3 | Dewdrop ‘drips’ enhance the elevation at eye level.

4 | The design offers a light, open interior

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Architects | FAT, London; Holder MathiasPhotos | Tim Soar

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of standard, cat B office and some great big sheds for studios, where

Casualty, Upstairs Downstairs and Doctor Who are filmed. “there’s not

a lot to it,“ he says.

Griffiths explains that FAt, alongside dRMM and Holder Mathias, was

asked to propose ideas. Due to a tight timeframe – it had to be ready

within 18 months, when the new series of Casualty began filming – this

may partly explain why Holder Mathias were brought in to complete

the project. the facility is one of the largest drama production studios

in Europe. Furthermore, the funding from the Welsh Government was

a deadline-dependent grant, placing even more emphasis on speed

of delivery. Holder Mathias did everything from Stage E onwards.

“they did the offices, the studio sheds, even the façade. We oversaw

the detailing, but they were doing it. And to be fair to them, they did it

pretty well,“ says Griffiths.

Some may feel that FAt have been overindulgent with their design.

You can not help but stop and look at their lastest creation and feel

its boldness staring back at you. on balance it does look a lot better

than an uninspiring shed and after all if the world of theatre is being

expressed internally why not express this externally aswell.

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The terraces of the Scharnhauser Sports Park in Ostfildern

follow the natural slope of the bank alongside the sports field.

This helps the new structure to easily blend into the landscape.

The design follows a simple pattern that offers an open view

onto the football pitches being placed on a 3.2m high embank-

ment and a closed façade to the rear of the building. Designed

by Kaag + Black architects in Stuttgart, the terrace structure

offers changing facilities, toilets for visitors, storage and equip-

ment rooms.

A glass canopy creates a connection between the internal and external

environment offering protection from rain and snow and shades the

sun’s glare from the flat sports field. the architects are avid football

fans and wanted to show that their design can offer a sustainable way

forward, claiming that the terrace provides a Co2 neutral impact. this

has partly been achieved by the canopy structure providing a photo-

voltaic system, which compensates for the power consumption for the

floodlights and a solar thermal system that is used to provide warm

water for the wash rooms.

the façade and the roof of the structure are designed using slender

steel sections that were galvanized to provide a long-term durable

system. the prefabricated structure was assembled on-site and com-

bines elegance, durability and longevity. the output of the photovoltaic

solar panels provide enough power to make the terrace self-sufficient

from an energy consumption point of view.

1 | Blending with the landscape

2 | Photovoltaic solar panels harnessing the sun

Architect | Kaag + Schwarz Architekten, StuttgardPhotos | Kaag + Schwarz Architekten, Stuttgard

Scharnhauser Sports ParkSolar-powered terrace 1

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by Holger Glinde

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a new sculpture at the heart of a busy junction leading into the centre of Belfast

attempts to capture metaphorically and physically the rising of a new dawn for Bel-

fast and northern ireland.

Rise – a 30 m spherical steel sculpture designed by Wolfgang Buttress and price & Myers hovers

over the Broadway roundabout, at the junction of the Westlink and M1 motorway, a main gate-

way to the city where 500,000 cars a week will flow past. the sculpture is located within the

Blackstaff Ward which is in South Belfast. this demanding idea was complicated by the fact that

this was the second commission for a sculpture in this location following the failure of a previous

scheme, which was not feasible to construct for the given budget.

the tight budget and grand ambition called for a solution where the artistic piece was a pure

engineering object that used the minimum amount of material to its maximum efficiency. two

hovering concentric geodesic spheres made from 60mm diameter tubes was the solution that

was arrived at with the Artist to realise his vision.

Rise, BelfastArt and engineering in harmony

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tioned slender steel columns. these columns are inclined so that they

brace the sphere laterally and support its weight by meeting it at an

exact tangent to the surface. the inner 15 m sphere is held by a net-

work of cables that create a three dimensional tensegrity within the

outer structure, making it appear to float. All together there are 2,421

tubes and 804 bolted joints.

Sustainability and value

the steel structure uses a classic piece of geometry to achieve struc-

tural strength and stiffness. A double curved structure is made from

simple linear elements. the weight of the structure bears this out with

65 tonnes of steel being used and the weight of the air within the struc-

ture is 20 tonnes. the structure is light enough to be supported on an

existing motorway underpass structure.

All the tubes and cables forming the structure have been galvanized

using a duplex coating combining galvanizing and powder coating. the

system blends the performance benefits of hot dip galvanizing with the

extensive range of colours from powder coating, meaning the artist

had a choice of colours and that the sculpture is maintenance-free for

its expected lifespan. the coating used an off-site application, reducing

site congestion, delays for wet trade finishes, and scaffolding. 1,600

discs (400 mm x 8 mm) and 2,400 poles (average length 2 m) were

galvanized and coated to give a textured white finish.

Finding a way to build the sculpture effectively and safely was one of

the most challenging aspects of the project. Several different methods

were proposed, with the eventual solution being that suggested by the

fabricators, Hassons. A key approach to the fabrication was the use of

CNC technology that ensured accuracy to minimise construction tole-

rances and facilitate this method of erection. Rise is the largest public

art sculpture in Belfast and is visible for miles around the City. At its

heart is the combination of clever structural design that creates simpli-

city out of a complex form using the minimum amount of material.

+ additional

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Artist | Wolfgang Buttress, NottinghamEngineer |Price & Myers, LondonPhotos | Nick Patterson (1), Mark Haddon (2)

Michael Walsh (3)

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The Waldnaab River, in the Upper Palatinate, flows through a picturesque

nature reserve. Part of the infrastructure for visitors consists of a bridge over

the little river for pedestrians and cyclists. This changes the route of two exi-

sting ramblers’ footpaths in the valley area and optimises the environment of

the various kinds of animals living there.

the bridge was designed by Brückner & Brückner Architekten of tirschenreuth. the cur-

ved steel structure, which is 45 metres long, blends well with the existing topography. the

bridge is supported by three piers and two abutments. Slim, hot dip galvanized steel sec-

tions combine with oak panels to give the bridge a special appearance. the architects cho-

se galvanized steel "because it was the most permanent solution for a bridge of this span”.

the galvanized steel has also been painted to achieve the desired aesthetic. one further

sensible anti-corrosion measure was the separation of the oak which contains tannic acid,

and the steel structure by a polyamide substrate. this avoids bimetallic corrosion.

the bridge’s load-bearing system was formed from two curved hollow steel sections (300

x 300 mm), with a 600 mm gap between them, and was then braced with cross sections.

the effective midspans of the bridge are 8.18 and 13.48 metres respectively.

For artistic reasons, the structure has been framed by galvanized steel hoops of various

heights at intervals of 45 cm, giving delightful views from and through the bridge to pede-

strians and passers-by.

1 | A tough coating to withstand the elements

2 | The pedestrian and cycle bridge gently curves across the river

3 | Aerial view of the bridge’s location

4 | To avoid galvanic contact corrosion, the oak planking is separated by a polyamide-base from the steel structure

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Bridge over the Waldnaab RiverSlender, sinuous design

by Holger Glinde

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Architect | Brückner & Brückner Architekten, TirschenreuthPhotos | Brückner & Brückner Architekten, Tirschenreuth

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Nördlingen transportation hub

The link between local public transport and private car gives many commuters a tried and trusted

way of escaping daily congestion. The pre-condition for this is suitable infrastructure consisting

of adequate parking space and good bus and rail links. The nördlingen transportation hub is a

good example of this.

the hub, designed by the Morpho-Logic architectural practice of Munich, is adjacent to the Nördlingen rail-

way station, and consists of a central bus station and a park and ride building. Here the bus station roof and

the prominent façade of the park and ride building combine to form a new urban development. the new bus

station is more than just a waiting room with a roof. it’s an urban space, in the best meaning of the term. in

addition to 151 parking spaces, the hub provides 102 cycle parking spaces, 18 lockable cycle boxes, and public

toilets.

thanks to the choice of materials and colours, the roof and the west façade of the park and ride building

combine to form a unity, which frames the newly-developed urban space and anchors it in the citizen’s cons-

ciousness. the bus station roof grabs the attention with its mass and helps to define two different areas: the

Interlinking urban space

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1 | The bus station is just metres from the park and ride building

2 | The duplex façade of the park and ride building

3 | Mainstays and filigree side columns of galvanized steel support the roof of the bus station

by Holger Glinde

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waiting hall and the pedestrian walkway which runs along

it. its size is further accentuated by the apparent minimal

supports: a series of main columns and tapered filigree

ancillary columns. the main columns create the concept

of a space leading towards the city, whilst the tapered

columns, as they grow narrower, support the roof like

filigree needles.

opposite the roof, on the rail side, the prominent façade

of the parking structure, which is also coloured gold,

closes off the bus station. together they form a canopy,

which runs over the entire length, with vertical steel

sections like scales as sheeting for the parking level. the

basement façade, like all the other façades of the multi-

storey car park, is faced with anthracite-coloured perfo-

rated trapezoid panels in horizontal layers. And so, even

when the façade surfaces are closed off, a transparent

veil-like effect is created by means of perforation, which

creates a visual contact between the interior and the exte-

rior that enhances the feeling of safety.

the entire load-bearing structure consists of hot dip gal-

vanized steel sections. the sections are made from steel

bars, put together to form rectangular sections; the roof

girders consist of standard steel sections. the visible

elements of the load-bearing structure are coated with an

epoxy resin based coating. the roof covering consists of

canted aluminium sheets, and the underside is made up

of expanded metal panels with galvanized and powder-

coated steel frames.

the structures not only combine to give uniformity but

also make an impressive statement with the urban lands-

cape.

Architects| Morpho-Logic, MunichPhotos | Morpho-Logic, Munich

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Galvanizing Delight

the building’s unusual composition resulted from a considered response to its local and historic context. in plan, the building is broken down into

two slim, offset blocks, in keeping with the scale of the neighboring cottage. this approach creates a dramatic skyline with the house’s tall brick

chimney appearing to float between the two distinct halves of the house. the limited palette and simple yet elegant use of galvanized steel within

the rear elevation accentuates the beauty of the design. Photos | Tim Brotherton