La Bellone A Structural Glass Roof

Olivier Noterman, Arch., Node Engineering, Brussels, Laurent Ney, Ney & Partners, Lige Paper presented on the occasion of the Symposium Structural Applications of Stainless Steel in Building and Architecture on 24th February 2000 in Brussels organised by Euro Inox, Brussels

LA BELLONE A STRUCTURAL GLASS ROOF

LA BELLONE A STRUCTURAL GLASS ROOF

The point of view of the architect

La Bellone is an old XVIIth century house designed by Jean Cousin, the architect of the Brussels Grand Place. Since a decade the Bellone was a cultural centre dedicated to dance and theatre. The idea of covering the backyard of the Bellone to allow to use it during all seasons, was born on a rainy day. It was easy to understand that this idea was a must. A long time after the competition, organised to cover the backyard in a temporary way, Serge Creuz asked me to study a steady solution: we were looking for sponsors, there was a need for an image. We discussed then a model or rather of an inaccessible reference: the galleries of the King and the Queen in Brussels, without the matter resulting in retro images or in a post-modern variant! How to do this nowadays in such a fine and righteous way? Obviously the solution was not found at the wholesaler of aluminium verandas. Considering the span, the low stiffness of aluminium would have required a carrying structure. Goodbye lightness and indispensable transparency. Construction is for me the guide, the exploration of the working method of the materials, free from any aesthetic reflex and from any nostalgia. Would it be beautiful? I thought it was obvious to break this discussion. We had to propose a solution which didnt converse with the Bellone and its classified front, but which was, on the contrary, independent, abstract and contemporary. As much as the Bellone plays an important role in the quarter Sainte-Catherine: it wasnt the purpose to put the culture in a box but to start it. No question of touching the monument: if the backyard should be covered, the house should be too. The almost rectangular form of the place orientated the project to a portion of cylinder. It is known that this form offers a lot of structural advantages. Simplicity left the principal role for the Bellone.

LA BELLONE A STRUCTURAL GLASS ROOF

I imagined then tubular arches to carry the cover. Serge Creuz immediately liked the idea and it was proposed to the administrator of the city of Brussels, and to several sponsors, until the Brussels area followed by the city promised to realise the operation. To achieve this project we needed a rare kind of engineer and engineer interested in architecture: I knew one: Ren Greisch. He liked the challenge and he charged Laurent Ney of designing the roof. Laurent Ney proposed a Polonceau truss girder with a rolled up tie-rod to span the backyard but also the roof of the Bellone.

The use of stainless steel follows from his structural and stainless properties. For maintenance, stainless steel was also the best solution. The fact that the structure was ready to be mounted at the exit of the workshop, represented a plus. The stainless steel presence with his fastness appearance suited perfectly to enforce the precious character of the monument. The modulation of 1.30 m between girders, optimise the dimensions of the glasses. The structure expresses without beating the working method of the material: the compressed arches are only balanced by a 12 rolled up tie-rod. During the whole period, this constructive approach was followed. In summertime, a mechanic ventilation device limits the surrounding temperature to some degrees below the temperature outside. The ground of the backyard is fitted out by a radiant underfloor heating so that even in the winter the comfort can be assured by limiting the losses to a strict minimum. The shape of a flat arch, proposed by acoustic specialist Jan Mathijs, minimise the formation of resonance. The arch of glass reflects the sounds previously absorbed by the open air. It is why we have covered the walls of the backyard with sound damping devices. The main device is made of a rockwool panel of 10cm of thickness fitted out at 4 cm from the common wall. Stainless steel sheets perforated and folded at dimensions protect but also improve the acoustic performance of the device. We painted the walls of the backyard in a dark grey colour to make the place even more theatrical. 3

LA BELLONE A STRUCTURAL GLASS ROOF

The point of view of the engineer

The design of glass roofs has, for always, been a fascinating subject for engineers as well as long-span structures or architectural bridges. We all remember Paxton in the United Kingdom who conceived the Crystal Palace in 1851. Other, not so much known but even interesting structures can still be admired those days such as the glass roof of the Bicton Gardens in the South Devon of United Kingdom which was build in 1825 and more recently, the works of Peter Rice in the United Kingdom and Jrg Schlaich in Germany. A priori, the problem is easy because the purpose is to let pass a maximum of light throughout a structure which has to separate the inside world from the outside world. The used materials are also limited because it are, to simplify, glass and steel. But it is just there that the problem grows: a glass roof doesnt forgive anything! Both visual and structural because it is the structure, and only the structure, which gives the perception of the whole. Oversizing the profiles will create an overloaded and heavy outlook while using too small elements will involve too significant uncontrolled deformations which can provoke a concentration of forces and a premature failure of the glass.

The problems which occur by using glass roofs are finally complicated: the wedding of the glass, frail material witch is easy to break, and steel which has got totally different properties, needs solutions which integrate all those parameters to obtain an homogeneous solution which answers in a satisfying way the constraints of fineness, of the structure, of acoustic, of waterproofing, of temperature regulation, of execution, of maintenance and of security. While in most of engineering realisations the structure represents only a part of the whole, the appearance of a glass roof is totally and only shaped by the structure, the glass being by definition transparent. 4

LA BELLONE A STRUCTURAL GLASS ROOF

Given that the Bellone is used as a location for shows or exhibitions we had to take into account acoustic performances and stage possibilities of the structure. What were the basic considerations which have dictated the conception of the project? In order to respect the front facade of the Bellone, the new structure must have as less presence as possible. The shape of a flat arch was dictated by the acoustics considerations. The non-differentiation of the supporting structure and of the glass frame in order to reduce as much as possible the visual impact of the whole. The use of a lasting material that needs not many maintenance and which matches with the texture of the front of the Bellone. The consideration of the difficulty of building up and of accessibility. The access to the inner backyard is made by a corridor with a width of 2 m. This consideration has largely influenced the choice of the structure, even if, during the realisation, it has been possible to install a crane on one of the adjoining grounds. The difficult border conditions, in particular the irregular geometry of the roofs and a common wall in a bad condition which didnt recapture the efforts.

Finally, the glass roof is put on 5 supports, the span of 16.60 m on the site of the common wall is covered by a trussgirder which is regaining the same structural language as the glass roof.

Modelisation of the structure

The ground of the glass roof is 14.90 m by 20.48 m totally 305 m2. The minimal width of the structural profile, taking in account the assembly tolerances, turned out to be 50 mm. In order to decrease the visual impact and to increase as much as possible the profile resistance for a given bulk, a full profile, namely a complete bar 50 mm by 50 mm has been chosen. The distance between the main girders of 1.28 m allows the use of glass panels, of reasonable size and weight. All the glass panels are measuring 1.43 m by 1.28 m and are formed of double glazing with laminate on the inner side. The main elements of the framework are of three different types: the bar of 50 x 50 mm forms the main elements of the framework, the flats 35 x 12 mm are forming the wind bracing and the circle bars of different diameters which are acting as tenders.

LA BELLONE A STRUCTURAL GLASS ROOF

The way in which the structure takes up the load is interesting, because it differs in function of the forces acting on the structures. Without going too much into details it can be said that the symmetrical loads are taken up by the arch and the disymmetrical loads are taken up by the truss girder. All the elements are made in stainless steel. The bars 50 x 50 are in AISI 304 and bend to obtain the polygonal curve. All the elements are fixed by bolting and a prestress of the tension trusses has been made to limit the compression in those elements.

Ortmans Inox from Verviers realised the framework with a high degree of precision. The glass was placed on the roof by the firm FMP from Duffel. The architect of this craftwork was Olivier Noterman from Brussels. The engineering part was studied by Ren Greisch and Laurent Ney of the office Greisch from Lige. 6