Issue 4(40)/2014
Table of contents
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- Bolesław Orłowski - Engineers in the service of the Nation
- Tadeusz Barucki - The life and work of Maciej Nowicki (1910–1950)
- Gerard Parke, Seyed Alireza Behnejad - Zygmunt Stanisław Makowski: A pioneer of space structures
- René Motro - “Nodes and Spatial Structures”, a tribute to Stéphane du Château
- Cláudia Estrela Porto - The innovative structural conception in Stéphane du Château’s work: from metallic trusses to the development of spatial frames
- John F. Abel - Structures by Stefan J. Medwadowski
- Kazimierz Flaga - An adventure of my life. A design study of the main sports objects of the 21st Olympic Games in Montreal
- Massimo Majowiecki - Personal experiences in Structural Architecture: from form finding to free form design
- Michał Pelczarski - Streams of forces in Wacław Zalewski’s theory as a designer’s instrument in forming constructional architecture. Basic principles, didactic methods, examples of realisations
Articles
Bolesław Orłowski - Engineers in the service of the Nation
doi:10.5277/arc140401
The paper highlights a very important but almost completely forgotten role played by Polish engineers of different specialties in their homeland and abroad, remaining in the shadow of most conscious Poles’ agenda during the era of partitions: that of restoring their country’s independence at any price. Particularly noteworthy is the engineering activity of Poles abroad. This may seem surprising in the case of a nation without strong technological traditions. To some extent, it stemmed from a patriotically-motivated desire to get prepared for the future armed struggle for freedom and independence, in which – it was expected – the engineering profession would play an increasingly important part.
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Tadeusz Barucki - The life and work of Maciej Nowicki (1910–1950)
doi:10.5277/arc140402
This paper presents briefl y the life and work of Maciej Nowicki – prematurely deceased, one of the most visionary architects of the 20th century. He was one of the few architects who’s one drawing has made a revolution in design and made possible the emergence of an entirely new fi eld of construction industry. His most creative period occurred in the years after World War II. He was one of the designers of the rebuilding of Warsaw. He was sent by the government to New York as a representative of Poland in the design of the United Nations headquarters. Then, his sketch of the design of the hall in Raleigh “opened the door” for the appearance of membrane structures. The new city of Chandigarh was next step on his architectural way, but the tragic air accident in Egypt ended his brilliant career.
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Gerard Parke, Seyed Alireza Behnejad - Zygmunt Stanisław Makowski: A pioneer of space structures
doi:10.5277/arc140403
The objective of this paper is to present information about the life, personality and the contributions of Professor Zygmunt Stanisław Makowski (1922–2005) as a pioneer in the field of Spatial Structures. He was the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Surrey, in the United Kingdom, for 22 years (from 1962 to 1984). Professor Makowski also created the Space Structures Research Centre of the University of Surrey in May 1963, and the work of this Centre, over the years, has won a great deal of international recognition.
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René Motro - “Nodes and Spatial Structures”, a tribute to Stéphane du Château
doi:10.5277/arc140404
The work of Stéphane du Château is clearly inscribed in the second half of the 20th century. He developed several spatial structures’ systems based on a clever design of nodes, which were all patented. More than two hundred and fifty projects were effectively built. Besides this productive work Stéphane du Château founded several associations in order to gather designers and to promote Spatial Structures. His charisma and his commitment were the keys of a remarkable contribution to spatial structures. This paper is a short summary and a reminder of his achievements and importance for the development of spatial structures.
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Cláudia Estrela Porto - The innovative structural conception in Stéphane du Château’s work: from metallic trusses to the development of spatial frames
doi:10.5277/arc140405
Stéphane du Château, a Polish engineer, was one of the pioneers in the development of light structures in the 20th century, beginning his researches in Paris soon after the II World War. This article aims at presenting the evolution of spatial structures on the example of his projects and shows how systems invented by him influenced a new architecture.
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John F. Abel - Structures by Stefan J. Medwadowski
doi:10.5277/arc140406
The structures designed by Stefan J. Medwadowski, an American of Polish origin, are characterized by the conscious effort to defi ne space and fulfill function in an aesthetically pleasing manner. His projects have involved a variety of structural systems, including thin shells in concrete and wood, and spatial or grid systems in steel, concrete, and timber. Examples presented include long-span arenas, churches and theatres, concrete buildings, a pedestrian bridge, and steel spatial structures to support optical telescopes.
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Kazimierz Flaga - An adventure of my life. A design study of the main sports objects of the 21st Olympic Games in Montreal
doi:10.5277/arc140407
The paper presents reminiscences of a structural engineer, in charge of the development of the design study of the main objects of the 21st Olympic Games in Montreal: the Tower, the Pool and the Velodrome. It presents the story of the author’s involvement in this project, as well as the main features of the solution reached. It includes also the reasons for use in these facilities prestressed concrete as the main structural material.
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Massimo Majowiecki - Personal experiences in Structural Architecture: from form finding to free form design
doi:10.5277/arc140408
The paper presents the author’s experience and his personal views on the challenges that arise from the new trend in design – Free Form Design (FFD). Based on the experience gained it was possible to identify the hazards that unfettered creation of architectural form poses for the structural system. This implies the need for extension of range and change of the standard approach in the structural analysis.
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Michał Pelczarski - Streams of forces in Wacław Zalewski’s theory as a designer’s instrument in forming constructional architecture. Basic principles, didactic methods, examples of realisations
doi:10.5277/arc140409
The article focuses on a method of streams of forces – a fragment of Professor Wacław Zalewski’s work aimed at simultaneous creation of attractive architectural forms along with their constructional system which is shaped in accordance with given design conditions and according to conditions of a natural flow of forces and energy minimum principles. This method can appeal to young designers and help them develop an intuitive “feeling of a construction” as well as enhance possibilities to carry out an independent analysis of products of their own imagination.
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