Centre Georges Pompidou

Presentation By: Natasha Reising

exporting as pdf

Piano p. 40

Architects: Renzo Piano

Richard Rogers

Born in 1937, the Italian ArchitectRenzo Piano

was interested in architecture atan early age. He graduated from

the University of Florence in 1964,followed by Milan Polytechnic.

Piano was inspired by two peoplein his profession during his lifetime,

Jean Prouve and Franco Albini.These two men were his mentors

during his 35 year successfulcareer. Piano started working as an

Architect independently, then wasaffiliated with Richard Rogers

before opening his final firm with fellow architect Peter Rice in 1980.

The Building:Centre Georges Pompidou

Paris, France1976

Piano p. 39

An active and accessible machine in which the arts could interact with each other and all social strata.1

Centre Georges Pompidou opened in 1978 centered in the heart of Paris s historical center. The building stands as a form

which houses various functions. Within the structure is an Art Museum, a library, a design center, and also a music center. The bold

architectural style used by Piano and Rogers contrasts with the historic buildings in the crowded area of downtown Paris. President Pompidou

proposed a building in 1969 for this former site of Les Halles. This cultural center stands six stories tall and rises above the other

buildings in close proximity. One prominent design feature of the site is the large open area in front of Centre Georges Pompidou. Piano used

incorporated this feature in his design to include a place for visitors and the Parisians to enjoy the beauty of the building. The space is similar

to the Italian idea of a “piazza”. 1 Buchanan p.26

Buchanan p. 26

Themes of the design2:

Flexible envelope

Simple Geometric Form

Open Piazza

Occupancy zoned(connection with Paris)

Steel Structure

Exterior Mechanical

Building Circulation

Piano s idea sketch1

1 Piano p. 41: 2 Silver p.31

Transverse Section1

Longitudinal Section2

1 Piano p.41: 2 Piano p.41

1 Piano p.40: 2 Piano p.40

North Elevation1

Typical Floor Plan2

The Facts:

Design Competition Winners: Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers

Construction Time: 7 years (1971-1978)

Location: Paris France (Beaubourg)

Structure: Steel and Concrete Slabs

Floor Area1: 65,000 m2

Cost2: $363,858,691(over budget by 11.7%)

Height: 45.5 meters

1 Silver p. 23: 2 Silver p. 170

The Structure:Cast Steel Columns

Exterior Steel BracingThe Gerberette

Concrete Floor Panels

Silver p.116

Steel is the only permanent element of structure.The 850 mm steel columns surrounding the exterior of the concrete cast floor plates to create part of the

industrial looking exoskeletonwhich can carry 3000 tons ofvertical force. The steel X-bracing controls the lateralforces applied to the structureand enable the exterior to havethermal movement because ofthe hinge connections. Thecolumns create 13 visual bayswhich brace and support themechanical systems. Oneexample is pictured on the left,the circulation in clear shafts 1.

1 Piano p.45

The exterior steel bracing consists of cross bracing

and horizontal bracing.Post tensioning was used

to ensure that the 60 mm steel rods stayed in place when

attached to the steel columns and concrete floor beams.

The horizontal bracing connects the exterior cross-bracing to the columns. This part of the

structure stabilizes the columns from vertical buckling forces.This occurs at the entry level

then every other floor until the top of the building.

Diagram showing the relationship between

each steel structural member.

The Gerberettes are the cantilevered arms that connect the steel columns to the 157 foot long and 3 feet deep trusses which enable the concrete floor slabs to be column free. These gerberettes are needed to make sure the loads from the six floors of the building are transferred down the center axis of each column to prevent bending moments2.

Diagram of Gerberette and truss connection1

1 Sandaker and Eggen p. 68: 2 Sandaker and Eggen p. 666

Steel trusses are beneficial in this construction because of their ability to withstand tension and compression forces.During this construction the workers realized that the size and weight of each truss was almost too large for the span length. These trusses act as deep horizontal beams which pass the shear forces to the corners and then down to the ground.The trusses are placed together using pin connections.There are two advantages of this construction type:1. The material was placed exactly where needed2. The webbed steel makes the building feel light and airy2

Diagram showing the points of pressure and the tension and compression forces1

1 Sandaker and Eggen p. 68: 2 Sandaker and Eggen p. 68

A Triumphant Crystallization of the national cultural spirit.2

Centre Georges Pompidou

1 Image-Piano p. 45: 2 Silver p. 1

Works Cited:

Buchanan, Peter. Renzo Piano Building Workshop. London;Phaidon Press Limited, 2000.

Piano, Renzo. Renzo Piano: Logbook. Paris; The MonicelliPress Inc.,1997.

Sandaker and Eggen. The Structural Basis of Architecture.NY; Sandaker and Eggen, 1992.

Silver, Nathan. The Making of Beaubourg. London; The MIT Press, 1994.