Hybrid Tower – Guimares, Portugal

2016

CITA – Centre for IT and Architecture –
Prof. Dr. Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen
KET – UdK Berlin –
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Gengnagel

The Hybrid Tower installation was conceived as a showcase project to investigate the potential of knitted fabric as structural membrane in combination with bending-active elements. The Tower achieved its form and equilibrium state through the interaction between bending-active GFRP rods and the external layer of knitted fabric. A hybrid structure due to the interaction of its two main components, bent GFRP rods and custom-made CNC knit, this hybrid action created a very light and yet stiff structure which balanced wind and other external actions through an interdependent combination of compression and tension elements.

Images © CITA

Project Team

Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen,
Martin Tamke,
Yuliya Sinke Baranovskaya,
Anders Holden Deleuran

Textile Engineering

Fibernamics, Universidade de Minho / Guimaraes
Raul Manuel Esteves Sousa Fangueiro

Structural Engineering

Udk – Universitaet der Kuenste Berlin / Berlin
Christoph Gengnagel,
Riccardo La Magna,
Michael Schmeck

Textile Testing

Universitaet Duisburg Essen / Duisburg, Essen
Natalie Stranghoehner,
Joerg Uhlehmann

Textile CNC Production

AFF – A. ferreira & Filhos / Vizella
Filipa Monteiro,
Jorge Vieira