EXPLANATION:
Tensegrity mushroom pavilion
The mushroom-shaped pavilion is designed for events such as small concerts. It consists of a six-bar anti-prism base and a 18-bar tensegrity-ring roof. The prototype maintains its equilibrium and open space due to the tension from the membrane.
Formfinding
The ring structure is made up of a continuum of ten upper-level paraboloids and ten lower-level paraboloids with a diameter of 4.00 m. Formfinding for the ring structure is generated by means of a diamond-shaped membrane pattern pieces formed by two layers of eighteen bars which are arranged either in an oblique or a diagonal position. The bars are connected to the end points of the membrane and then to the adjacent membrane piece at the corresponding end point. This procedure is repeated for all adjacent membrane pieces, while at the same time, the upper section is interlaced with the lower section creating one continuous ring structure when the last two bars are put into place.
A dome is created by combining the above ring structure with a “roof” consisting of one central mast and minor masts placed in a circular form held in place by the tension of the membrane itself. The membrane balances the system and joins the dome with the tensegrity ring. The final structure is a dome free of any internal supports with an anti-prism base.
SMiA 