Discussion: Fibres Rethought - Towards Novel Constructional Articulation
- Achim Menges, Jan Knippers
The use of new materials in architecture generally follows a set pattern. Initially, they are employed as a replacement for existing materials. This is followed by an experimental phase in which suitable forms of construction are explored and eventually standardized. Often, the most striking forms are created at the intermediate stage, when no fixed design concepts exist and before innovation becomes convention. One sees this in the case of cast iron, which introduced a new age of construction towards the end of the 18th century, following a series of devastating fires in British cotton mills. In bridge structures, too, iron played an important role. At first, it was seen simply as a substitute for timber and stone in arched forms of construction. Only after the successful implementation of early projects was the potential of the material fully investigated. The absence of fixed conventions allowed structures to be created that are breathtaking to this day. An outstanding example are the greenhouses in Bicton, England (ill. 3). The greenhouses in Kew Gardens (ill. 4), erected some 25 years later, already reveal the hierarchic arrangement of main arches and secondary beams as they were later used in all large stations and exhibition halls.
