1. The Gherkin Structural Model Project
Architectural Structures Arch241 Prof. Pieter Sijpkes
Fall 2017

3. The goal of this project is to have participants (and observers) realize that it is possible to build large structures using relatively weak, slender materials.
Regardless of the scale, it is the geometry of the structure, the strength of the joints and the stiffness of the floor plates that make this possible.
This phenomenon can be observed and experienced in building a model using weak materials; in our case we will use reeds for columns and beams, and cardboard for floor plates.
The joints can be made with tie wire or glued with hot glue.

4. Example of last year’s model construction of the 1929 Shukhov Tower in Moscow

5. 1st task: Draw a scaled elevation on kraft paper at 1:500 scale (see illustration next slide) The building is 180 meters (= cm) high, so, using a digital projector, we need to blow up a detailed elevation, /500= 360 cm high At its widest the building is 52.5 meters wide, so the paper has to be just over a meter wide.

7. Once we have the proper, scaled elevation we need to deal with the floor plans.

8. Below is shown a picture of the building under construction, showing the core rising higher than the office floors. In the plan on the left, we can see the column pattern of the core. (This pattern will stay the same for most of the building height )

9. Building the model should probably proceed in a sequence similar to the one that was used constructing the actual building: *In the ground floor plate shown on the next slide we insert the core columns; all the upper floor plates will have perforations where the columns can pass through these plates. We can thus glue plate after plate in place, using wooden or foam separators.

11. The floor-to-floor height in the building is 4
*The floor-to-floor height in the building is 4.20 M, so the floors will have to be spaced at 8.4 cm. *Once we have the properly scaled elevation and ground floor plan, we can determine graphically the diameter of every floor. *After the floors have all been glued to the core columns at the proper height we can then apply the ‘diagrid’ columns to the exterior.

12. Some other scale model examples:

14. Sir Norman Foster standing next to a model of ‘the Gherkin’ (The scale is probably the same as the one we will be using: 1:500)

15. Sources
Spin toy:
sketch up model:
first minute time lapse:
grasshopper modeling Gherkin:
short version digital model:
digital scale model for sale:
Terry Myer Boake paper on diagrid joints: