Glazed Umbrella Structure, Sydney
In front of the 67-storey tower of the MLC-Centre is an extensive, open plaza. As part of the redesign of this space, a large glass umbrella was constructed to provide a transparent covering over the daylight fast-food area at subfloor level. The umbrella is spanned over a circular opening in the middle of the plaza and is supported by a tapering, posttensioned concrete column extending up from the concrete floor at the lower level. Fixed to the head of the column is a steel hub, from which tapering, radial steel beams or "spokes" are cantilevered out. Struts extending from the column provide additional bracing to the beams.
