What are the some of the strategies employed by these shell

designers?

Shell Design Strategies

This is a shell consisting of four intersecting hypars--the generators of each quadrant are the horizontal lines at the ridge and the inclined lines at the gable

Hyperbolic Paraboloid Shells

I.M. Pei, Architect, and Anton Tedesko, Engineer. May D & F Entrance Canopy, Denver, CO 1966 (demolished)

Unstiffened

Stiffened: The addition of an edge stiffening beam resists much of the tendency of the ridge to flatten as a result of bending stresses.

This form was preferred, and exploited to maximum benefit by Felix Candela, who used the shapes in fanciful and utilitarian ways. The shape lends itself particularly to a square plan, because the figure can be generated by straight lines bounding a square, or a quadrilateral of any shape.

Hyperbolic Paraboloid Shells, continued

Candela; Los Manantiales Restaurant, Xochimilco, Mexico, 1957-8 (Click here for web image)

This shell consists of four intersecting hyperbolic paraboloids. The generators of one of the paraboloids are superimposed on this drawing. The shape of the edge results from Candela’s manipulation of the membrane stress solution of the hyperbolic paraboloid to find stress-free edges, which require no stiffening.

Permission Pending for use of this image

Barrel Vaulting Strategies

Anton Tedesko, had a preference for barrel vaults, particularly in long span buildings. These barrel vaults are generally ribbed, and supported along the edges. This kind of structure does not need massive internal or end diaphragms.

The Hershey Park Arena consists of a row of ribbed barrel vaults, supported at the ground level by buttresses

(see exterior view)

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