Museum of Local History
Hamburg, Germany
Von Gerkan, Marq and Partner, architects
Location
History
The Museum of Loacal History, Hamburg, Germany, was designed in 1913 by Fritz Schumaker as a four story building in the North German vernacular tradition. Organized in an L-shape around an open courtyard, which was roofed in 1988 as part of a celebration
of the founding of the port of Hamburg. The firm of architects Von Gerkan, Marq and Partner designed a glass and stell shell to satisfy three requirements: a non-directional roof, the enveloping structure could not dominate the courtyard and the histori
c fabric could not be altered. The roof provides shelter for exhibits and functions taking place in the courtyard.
Physical Description
The structure is a web of steel glazing bars, bolted together to form a structurally stable shell. The intersection of the two vaults is a shallow dome. The materials of the roof are: steel, glass, bolts, steel plates, tension cables, neophrene gaskets,
aluminum spacers, heating cables and lead flashing. The areo of the courtyard is approximately 900 square meters; the total area of the glass roof is 1000 square meters. The structure weighs 50 tons. The glazing bars are 2.4km and 6km of steel cable w
ere used. The glass is laminated from a layer of 6mm gilver-grey glass, has a central plastic membrane and lower layer of 6mm float glass.
The structure is designed to carry the load of the roof and roof elements and a substantial snow load. Heating elements were added to reduce that loading as much as possible.
Building Process
Structural Descripton/Aspects
The building resists vertical loading in a way similar to an arch. Walls of the existing building carry the vertical loads (dead load and snow load) down to the ground. The perimeter of the glass shell is supported on a continuous rigid universal beam w
hich is fixed to brackets that are attached to concrete in the attic floor.
The tension rod fan provides lateral bracing. Cross bracing in each pane protects against wind loading. The walls of the existing building absorb the lateral thrust of the vault dome.
Conclusions
Bibliography
Associated Buildings
Janna Beth Vaughn and Kendra Carson
ARCH 461/561 Spring 1995
Do you have questions about adding a case? or a building to suggest??????? send a message to me.......
chrisl@aaa.uoregon.edu