GHERKIN

TOWER
  Architects: Norman Forster, Ken Shuttleworth
Construction duration: 2001-2003
 Architectural Style: Sustainable Architecture,
Postmodern Architecture, High-tech
INTRODUCTION architecture, Neo-futurism.
 The majority of the building is used for offices
and residences.
 It has become an important and easily
recognizable feature of London's skyline.
  The Gherkin is essentially an elongated,
curved, shaft with a rounded end that is
reminiscent of a stretched egg.
 The design of the Gherkin is heavily
steeped in energy efficiency and there are
a number of building features that enhance
its efficiency.
 The tower is aerodynamically designed to
reduce wind load on the structure, whilst
ARCHITECTURAL the lower part tapers so that wind wraps
around the tower
CHARACTERISTICS  Open shafts built in between each floor
that act as ventilation for the building and
they require no energy for use.
 The shafts pull warm air out of the building
during the summer and use passive heat
from the sun to bring heat into the building
during the winter. These open shafts also
allow available sunlight to penetrate deep
into the building to cut down on light costs.
  These sketches that were made during the
schematic design phase in spring 1998 suggests
that the adapted Climatographic office
configuration will create rentable daylit retail
space below plaza level. Foster + Partners, 1004
Swiss Re House, 14 May 1998, 1998. Courtesy of
Foster + Partners.

SCHEMATIC
DESIGN PHASE
  Norman Foster designed an aerodynamic
shape to allow wind flow around the
building and its facade, rather than
redirecting the wind to the ground

 The enhancement of the public environment

at street level, opening up new views across
the site to the frontages of the adjacent
buildings and allowing good access to and
around the new development.
 Maximum use of public transport for the
DESIGN CONCEPT occupants of the building.
 Flexibly serviced, high specification ‘user-
friendly’ column free office spaces with
maximum primary space adjacent to natural
light.
 Good physical and visual interconnectivity
between floors.
 Reduced energy consumption by use of
natural ventilation whenever suitable, low
façade heat gain and smart building control
systems
 FLOOR PLANS

Ground Floor

GROUND FLOOR SIXTH FLOOR

FLOOR PLANS

21ST FLOOR 33RD FLOOR

FLOOR PLANS

39TH FLOOR 40TH FLOOR

SECTION
LIGHT WELLS
(SHAFTS)
• 5 degree rotation of floor
plates

• Wedge shaped light wells

  Core column maximum design
load: 33,266 kN
 750mm diameter concrete piles
into London Clay
 Number of piles: 333
FOUNDATION  Average length of piles: 27 m
 Total length of piles: 9 km
 Total design capacity: 117,000
Tonnes
STRUCTURAL
SIGNIFICANCE
  Diagrid - Resists horizontal
 Core - Resists gravity loads
and gravity loads

GENERAL
STRUCTURE
  Components
A-frame
Aluminum coated tube steel
Series of two-stories-high, end
to end arrangement.
DIAGRIDSYSTEM One full diamond is four-stories
INTERLOCKINGDETAILS tall.

 There is a special connector that

transfers loads, both vertically
and horizontally at the “nodes”
which are rigid monolithicand
welded together.
  360 total nodes
 The nodes transfer loads
both horizontally and
vertically
 The node itself is composed
of three welded steel
plates

DIAGRID NODES  The plates are oriented at

oblique angles in order to
facilitate the complex
geometry of the structure
 HSS - round sections bolted
to the plates in order to
facilitate the diagrid
structure
  The gravity and vertical
load from the building will
distribute toward the apex
of the diagonal structure.
Somehow, it will affected
by the height and angle of
the diagonal.
VERTICAL LOAD  The vertical forces will be
divide/disperse into the
other diagonal member.
Compression and tension
result in the diagonal will
transfer into the bottom
section.
  The lateral load happened
toward the "flange" of the
structure receiving directional
wind load. this will result the
lateral load into two part;
windward and leeward.
LATERAL LOAD  As a consequence, these
diagonal members receiving
two different direction of force
load. It will respond relatively.
The structure able to resist both
force and achieve equilibrium.
 • The core takes a portion of the
vertical gravity loads and is a
secondary structure to the
diagrid.
• The core acts as a tie back to the
hoop structure preventing splay.
CORE The structure system of the core is
rigid using moment frames.
• Provides rigidity
• Resists torsion
• Increases stiffness
 • There are 18 passenger lifts in thebuilding.

• 378 people can be vertically transported

through the building at speeds up to 6m per
secondat anytime.

• In addition, there are goods andfirefighter

elevators, as well as a car park elevator to the
reception from thebasement.

• Two special shuttle elevators serve the top floors

of thebuilding.
USAGE OF CORE • 3 different levels:
 Low rise go from lobby to level12.

 Medium rise liftsgo from lobby to 22 stopping

from level11.
ELEVATORS
 High rise lifts go from lobby to34 stopping IN THECORE
from level22.

 Shuttle lift goes from level 34to level 39.

  The overall cylindrical
shape allows for the wind to
move around the building.

SHAPE AND  How does this shape effect

the horizontal wind loads?
WIND LOAD  Decreased buffeting
 Reduced vibrations
 Diminished fluttering
  The loads are all absorbed through
the glass facade and eventually
transferred to the diagrid.
AIR
 The pressured air from the wind
(LATERAL LOAD) passes into the building through a
natural ventilation system, which is
incorporated through a double skin.
  Openable glass screen.
 Perforated aluminium louvers
THE ELEMENTS (internal sun-screen).
OF THE FACADE  A column casing of aluminium.
 Facade frame of extruded
aluminium.
The glazing to the office areas
consist of a double-glazed
outer layer and a single-glazed
inner screen. Sandwiched in Double glazed aluminium framed facade

between is a central ventilated

cavity which reduces heating
Ventilated cavity
and cooling requirements. Its
performance can be turned to
maximize benefits that the Internal sunscreen of perforatedlouvers
prevailing internal and
external environment might
have to offer. The solar-control Inner screen

blinds intercept solar gain

before itenters the office
environment.