ELECTIVE III
BY – HRISHIKESH RAJE
16046
INDEX
• WHAT IS BIOMIMICRY IN ARCHITECTURE?
• CASE STUDY – 1 (MAJOR CASE STUDY)
THE MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
• CASE STUDY – 2
BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUM
• CASE STUDY – 3
THE GHERKIN
What is biomimicry in architecture..?
• Biomimetic architecture is a contemporary philosophy of architecture that seeks solutions for
sustainability in nature, not by replicating the natural forms, but by understanding the rules governing
those forms. It is a multi-disciplinary approach to sustainable design that follows a set of principles
rather than stylistic codes. It is part of a larger movement known as biomimicry, which is the
examination of nature, its models, systems, and processes for the purpose of gaining inspiration in order
to solve problems.
• Biomimicry consists of the Greek words bios (life) and mimesis (imitate). In other words, biomimicry
means imitating life, although emulating would be a better term than imitating because often the
principles of nature will have to be tweaked in order to be of functional value to humans. Biodesign is a
term used for more or less the same field, however there are some differences that should be
considered. The focus of biomimicry lies especially on sustainability.
• Biomimicry can be applied on three levels. Firstly, the natural form of organisms are used for inspiration.
For instance, mimicking the structure of a seashell could lead to stronger buildings. Secondly, natural
processes, for example chemical processes such as photosynthesis, can be mimicked to create more
sustainable materials. The third level is the ecosystem level. In this level, entire ecosystems and their
functional principles are mimicked. When a product is made with the help of biomimicry, it is called a
'biomimetic' product. It can be biomimetic in terms of form, material, construction, process or function.
CASE STUDY – 1 (MAJOR CASE STUDY)
THE MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
INTRODUCTION
• The Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) traces its beginnings to two institutions, the Layton Art Gallery,
established in 1888, and the Milwaukee Art Institute, which was established in 1918. In 1957 the groups
joined together, forming the private, nonprofit Milwaukee Art Center, now known as the Milwaukee Art
Museum.
• Ar. Santiago Calatrava was the architect of this structure.
• The Milwaukee art centre was a exhibition cetre at first and then in addition it had theatre, education
centre and a restaurant.
• The Quadracci Pavilion is the iconic sculptural addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum designed by the
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Highlights of the building, completed in 2001, are the
magnificent cathedral-like space of Windhover Hall, with a vaulted a 90-foot-high glass ceiling; the
Burke Brise Soleil, a moveable sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan that unfolds and folds twice daily;
and the Reiman Bridge, a pedestrian suspension bridge that connects the Museum to the city.
DESIGN CONCEPT - BURKE BRISE SOLIEL
• Burke Brise Soleil, designed by Spanish architect and artist Santiago Calatrava, conjures the
biomimicry of the outstretched wings of birds in flight, it has a much more functional role in that it is
also a sun screen designed to manage the level of sunlight entering the cathedral-like glass ceiling of
Windhover Hall which helps to manage the interior temperature.
• The Burke Brise Soleil’s 217-foot wide wingspan is similar to that of a Boeing 747 jetliner. The wings are
made of 72 individual steel fins which vary in length from 26 feet to 105 feet. All told, it weighs a whopping
90 tons. The core of the Brise Soleil is a central spine which is directly attached to the steel frame of the
glass ceiling. Connected to that main spine are triangle-shaped plates that hold the rotating spines. Those
rotating spines are attached to the wings and to hydraulic actuators. The fins in the wings are connected by
spacers which help share the weight load and make the fins act as a single unit. It all gives the illusion that
the fins are moving separately, but that actually comes from the fact that they all start at different angles,
and then all move 90 degrees during the 3.5 minutes it takes for them to open or close. Though sturdy, it
still has a weakness: the wind. There are two ultrasonic sensors on the wings that determine wind speed.
When the wind reaches 23MPH for 3 seconds, the wings are automatically closed. This is to prevent
structural integrity as well as for safety.
• The hydraulic actuators, 11 per wing, were built specifically for the Burke Brise Soleil and push up to a stunning
5,000 psi. These hydraulic cylinders are pretty large, consisting of 230mm (9.0inch) bores with 125mm
(4.9inches) rods. The system is equipped with the aforementioned ultrasonic sensors and a lightning sensor
that is able to predict if lightning may strike nearby and close the wings. The pump system for the hydraulics is
a dual-set of 30-hp motors. For redundancy, one set of pumps can move both wings if needed, albeit at half
speed. A host of monitoring takes place at all times as well, including pump stroke range, hydraulic oil
temperature, and wing positions to keep them within 0.1 degree for even loading on the building. The wings
are held open by electrical hold-up valves, so when power is lost, the valves de-energize and the wings close
under their own weight, though the system controls the closing speed.
• Additionally, if electrical power is lost in the Milwaukee Art Museum, the system has a backup diesel generator
and if that is out of commission there’s a secondary back up generator that is propane-powered.
How it works-
1) Building spine – major sunshade
support, sits on the top of
reception hall.
2) Rotating spine tabs- triangle
shaped , attached at base to
building spine, hold the two
rotating spines.
3) Rotating spines- equipped
with hydraulics, sit in rotating
spine tabs, attached to fin
tabs.they turn and the fin raise
and lower.
4) Fins – 36 fins per wing and 2 fins
per each strand of glass on
reception hall. All fins move 90
degrees.
5) Fin tabs- attaches fins to
rotating spine.
6) Donuts- circular steel plates
welded to the rotating spine.
7) Spacers – steel objects that
connect one fin ti the next.
8) Actuator – hydraulic pump that
turns the rotating spines.
9) Actuator tabs – attach the
hydraulic pumps to the building
spine and rotating spines.
ANALYSIS
• The architect and artist Santiago Calatrava, was inspired from bird’s wings and the skeleton system of
its wings.
• This inspiration was applied to the Burke Brise Soleil’s structure. As the fins of the structure act as
wings of birds. The fins were specially designed and fabricated to act as the wings of the birds.
REFERENCES
• https://inhabitat.com/amazing-calatrava-shade-pavilion-for-the-milwaukee-art-museum/
• https://www.solaripedia.com/files/979.pdf
• https://arcspace.com/feature/the-milwaukee-art-museum/
• https://mam.org/visit/burke-brise-soleil.php
• https://milwaukeescience.org/the-milwaukee-art-museum-burke-brise-soleil-where-architecture-me
ets-art-and-science/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brise_soleil
CASE STUDY - 2
BEIJING NATIONAL STADIUM
INTRODUCTION
• Built at a cost of £300m, the Beijing National Stadium, located at the south of the centrepiece Olympic Green, is a stunning
landmark building that staged the 2008 Olympic Games from 8 August to 24 August 2008. The opening and closing
ceremonies and athletic track and field events of the 29th Olympiad took place at the stadium. It also hosted the Summer
Paralympics from 6 September to 17 September 2008 and Race of Champions 2009.
• A gross volume of three million cubic metres made it the world’s largest enclosed space at that time. It was then also the
world’s largest steel structure with 26km of unwrapped steel used.
• The innovative structure was designed by Herzog & De Meuron Architekten, Arup Sport and the China Architecture Design
and Research Group, and has been nicknamed the “bird’s nest” due to the web of twisting steel sections that form the roof.
• The 91,000-seat stadium was designed to incorporate elements of Chinese art and culture. The National Stadium’s main
structure is an enormous saddle-shaped elliptic steel structure weighing 42,000t. The stadium extends 333m from north to
south and 294m from east to west, with a height of 69.2m. The stadium design included demountable seats of 11,000.
• Beijing National Stadium, designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron.
• A stadium capacity of approximately 100 000 people during the games (to be reduced to
approximately 80 000 afterwards),
• A retractable roof, A multi-functional design, to efficiently incorporate a range of uses in the future;
and
• An emphasis on green building and advanced technology.
CONCEPT
• As implied by its nickname, the stadium rises out of the landscape in the shape of a giant upturned
bird’s nest.
REFERENCES
• https://www.industryleadersmagazine.com/architecture-inspired-nature-biomimicry/
• https://www.mcgill.ca/architecture/files/architecture/BiomimicrySSEFessay2007.pdf
• https://www.slideshare.net/SHIFASHAIKH20/beijing-national-stadium-80507718
• https://www.irjet.net/archives/V6/i3/IRJET-V6I3612.pdf
• https://architecturever.com/2019/04/16/beijing-national-stadium-and-its-bio-mimetic-history/
CASE STUDY - 3
THE GHERKIN
INTRODUCTION
• 30 St Mary Axe, more commonly known as “The Gherkin,” is a commercial skyscraper located in
London, England. It was designed by the famous architect Norman Foster with construction
completed in 2003. It is 180 meters tall and has 41 total floors. It was designed for Swiss Re, a
reinsurance company based in Switzerland. The building was dubbed “The Gherkin” for its easily
recognizable, pickle-esque curved shape. The structure expands slightly outward as it rises from the
ground and then tapers to a curved point. This shape creates greater public space at the base of the
building while reducing swirling wind. An interesting fact is that despite the curved nature of the
entire building, the only curved piece of glass is the lens at the apex of the panoramic dome.
CONCEPT
• Inspiration for the structure of The Gherkin was drawn from the Venus’ flower basket sponge, a type of
glass sponge. The sponge survives at great depths due to its lattice-like exoskeleton and round shape
which provide stiffness and disperse the forces from strong currents. The structural integrity of its body
comes from a mesh of silica spicules which can bend at the intersecting points to absorb stress. This silica
skeleton forms the hollow “basket” of the sponge through which sea water is filtered for nutrients. Water
flows through the lattice and is directed upwards by flagella.
REFERENCES
• https://steemit.com/architecture/@snaves/biomimetic-architecture-the-gherkin
• https://foxlin.com/lord-fosters-natural-inspiration-the-gherkin-tower/
• https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gherkin-like-sea-sponge
• https://www.archdaily.com/447205/the-gherkin-how-london-s-famous-tower-leveraged-risk-and-bec
ame-an-icon-part-2
• https://www.slideshare.net/VikramBengani/the-gherkin-case-study
