Sliding Domes Mecca, 2009-2010
Contractor: Rasch+Bradatsch (former Frei Otto)
Scope: from conceptual to final design
The client desired a design for a sliding Dome with a spanwidth of 36m. It should be stepped with an octagonal shape on the outside and have round cupolas contained on the inside.
The architectural design was done to fit the local conditions and the wishes of the client.
As the civil engineers calculated very high steel weights, making it impossible to build a moving dome, we had to find alternative solutions. Thatfor a space-frame system was invented, and now a quite dogmatic discussion started how the force would distribute and where it would be best to put the main bearing elements, with widely varying opinions.
So I taught myself to use the engineers’ finite element software and developed an iterative method, using which a given system can be automatically optimised following the force flow. Unbiased by the beliefs of the user. What in the beginning was intended to be just a tool to discover the distribution of the force, proved to be very useful, as the resulting systems had the best performance compared to any system defined through human logic. Performance means least weight with highest stiffness.
As of now the method can only optimise given geometries. In a next step it could be allowed to move nodes, and later add or remove elements and nodes.