Factory Building, Cologne
The client wanted a building which would provide maximum flexibility to accommodate future changes. The resulting factory is arranged in four sections, each with its own 18 m square courtyard, in the centre of which is a 31.5 m high pylon supporting the roof by means of four sets of tension rods positioned diagonally on plan. An uninterrupted floor area is further guaranteed by the suspension of main environmental and production services from the roof. The structure of the building consists of steel roof beams on a primary structural grid of 11.25 m x 11.25 m, supported by columns around the internal courtyard and on the external perimeter of the building.
