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Our quarterly magazine features an eclectic mix of projects from the UK, Ireland, Germany and Spain in order to inspire, educate and inform our reader.
Citation preview
2009
3/4 Hot Dip GalvanizingInternational Magazine | ISSN 1363-0148 | www.galvanizing.org.uk
2009
3/4
Some of you may remember back in the first
issue this year, I moaned about having to write
about ‘summery’ projects on the coldest day
of the year and wondered if we would feature
galvanized steel in a very cold situation in the
issue that we put to bed on the hottest day
of the year. Well, this is early August when we
usually have our hottest day (even if it looks
unlikely this year), and lo and behold there
is an article on an Antarctic research station
(opposite) waterless where the average
temperature can be around -50°C. The god of
irony must be beaming down upon us.
It would seem that the thing beaming down on
the research station is the sun and the grea-
test problem for corrosion protection for the
steelwork is not necessarily the extreme cold
but the very high levels of UV (ultraviolet).
Galvanizing is not affected by UV but it can
be a big problem for organic coatings.
Elsewhere there is a vaguely watery theme
linking several of the articles. We have two
harbourside buildings in Spain and in The
Netherlands and a waterless fountain in New
York (you will have to read it yourself on the
back page).
And, of course, all the frozen water that the
Antarctic research station is built upon.
David Baron, Editor
Contents
2 Editorial
3 Neumayer Station lll Galvanized high-tech structure
in the Antartic
6 Hot Dip Galvanizing Awards 2009
The Winners
13 House extension in Bergen Optimising existing footprint
14 Street furniture design from Germany
16 Simple, modernistic design
18 Harbour Post, Utrecht Multi-functional building
20 Galvanizing in Detail
Front cover:
Elmpark Green Urban Quarter
Photo:
Michael Moran
Editorial
2 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
Architecture
Neumayer Station III Galvanized high-tech structure in the Antartic
By Holger Glinde
On 20th February 2009, Neumayer Station III, which had taken only seven months to
build, started its scientific work on the Ekström ice shelf in Antarctica.
Neumayer Station lll has been designed to
obtain long-term data relating to global ecology
and climate research. It is also the base station
for expeditions to the continental ice sheet.
In the Antarctic Summer, up to sixty scientists
from various nations can be working at the
station simultaneously.
Neumayer III replaced the Neumayer II station
which had been operating since 1991. This was
slowly disappearing, sinking deeper into the ice
due to the constant snowfall, and movement of
the ice had led to damage to the structure.
Neumayer III was built in Bremerhaven, where
all the important components were tested.
The station was then dismantled into individual
sections and transported to Antarctica on a
cargo ship. Neumayer III has a total weight of
approximately 2,300 tonnes, about half of this
being galvanized steel. The major problem with
protecting steel in Antarctica is not so much the
prevailing weather conditions – average tempe-
ratures of -50 degrees centigrade, snow or high
winds – but the very high levels of UV radiation,
to which galvanizing is resistant.
One other very important parameter that
needed to be considered as a result of the new
environmental protocol to the Antarctic Treaty,
was the use of environmentally neutral
construction materials. Galvanizing was also
the favoured solution from a sustainable
point of view.
Quite apart from the corrosion stresses,
functional structures for use in areas such as
2009
3/4
Hot Dip Galvanizing | 3
Architecture
2009
03
the Arctic and Antarctic are subjected to
additional stresses from the snowfall, snow
drifts and deformation of the base foundation.
Various construction concepts have been
developed to reduce these stresses with the
structures having to be designed to suit the site
specific conditions. Steel plays a major role in
its adaptability and off site capabilities.
The Neumayer Station III is a building combi-
ning several functions - research, day-to-day
running and accommodation, constructed on a
platform above the snow surface and linked to
a garage built in the snow.
The heated, two-storey section lies within a
protective envelope on the platform, which is
itself 68 metres long and 24 metres wide.
The platform stands 6 metres above the sur-
face of the snow. The total height of the paten-
ted structure, from the floor of the garage to
the roof of the balloon hangar, is 29.20 metres.
One necessary feature of the new station is
the ability to compensate for the ever changing
effects of snow and ice on the foundation level
of the structures compensated for with the help
of hydraulic lifting devices.
This is the only way in which the complicated
conditions on the drifting ice shelf can be over-
come technically. The total load from Neumayer
III is distributed over 16 raft foundations, which
stand on an ice sheet 240 metres thick.
Before the entire station was lifted up, these
foundations were individually raised hydrauli-
cally and filled in with snow, and then the
entire garage area was packed with snow.
Neumayer Station III has a protected usable
floor space of about 4,473 square metres,
which is spread over a total of four station
levels.
About 1,850 square metres of this is available
to the scientists as air-conditioned working and
living areas.
A staircase and lift link the four floors, from
the garage to the balloon hangar, and thus
provide for comfortable access to all the
station’s rooms. The best aerodynamic form
for the external envelope of the station was
determined using wind tunnel experiments.
4 | Thermisch Verzinken
Meteorology
The meteorological observatory
at Neumayer Station has been
providing meteorological and
radiation data relevant for climate
research since 1981.
The observatory serves as a weather
forecasting centre for all of Dronning
Maud Land.
Geophysics
The geophysical observatory began
operating in 1982.
Long-term changes of the Earth’s
magnetic field are measured here,
and earth quakes, local as well as
anywhere on the globe, are recorded
continually.
Architecture
Hot Dip Galvanizing | �
The form of the building, in combination with
the garage roof, is designed in such a way that
snow depositions are reduced to a minimum in
the vicinity of the building.
The service life of the station depends mainly
on the flow of the ice shelf, which means a
realistic period of operation of 25 to 30 years.
The use of galvanized steel guarantees
maintenance-free protection against corrosion
during the entire service life.
This avoids any maintenance, as well as the
associated negative effects on the sensitive
ecosystem of Antarctica.
Photos:
page 3: ©Alfred-Wegener-Institut
page 2: Lars Wehrmann©Alfred-Wegener-Institut
page 4 above, middle: Jens Kube©Alfred-Wegener-Institut
at the bottom of the page 4:
Hans-Christian Wöste©Alfred-Wegener-Institut
page 5 above, middle:
Ude Cieluch©Alfred-Wegener-Institut
at the bottom of the page 5:
Gert König-Langlo©Alfred-Wegener-Institut
2009
3/4
Atmospheric chemistry
Since 1983, green-house gases, such
as water vapour, carbon dioxide,
methane and ozone, have been
recorded continuously at the air
chemistry observatory.
The optical and chemical properties
of aerosols are investigated here
as well.
Galvanizing in Architecture WinnerSt Marylebone School - Gumuchdjian Architects (1-4)The existing ‘inner city’ state school catered
for 900 girls with less than 5% of required
outdoor space.
It had no dedicated gym, refectory and virtually
no accessibility for the disabled.
The school wanted to use sport, dance, drama,
art and music as essential components in
drawing the individuality and talent out of their
students.
Gumuchdjian Architects were set this difficult
task within a very small existing footprint.
The obvious solution of creating a volume of
space that could be used as a possible
gymnasium and dance studio had to overcome
some major logistical problems. Being located
in a conservation area adjacent to expensive
sites meant that expansion upwards and
sideways was very limited.
The clever design solution was to locate the
new building beneath the playground, with the
Art and Music Departments above ground in
a building scaled to its historic context. The
playground lay on the site of an old churchyard.
During excavations, the remains of over 2,000
bodies had to be exhumed, including those of
the painter George Stubbs and the architect
James Gibbs.
The underground structure needed to retain
buildings on three sides and keep the water
out that sits half way up its sides.
The facility also had to be bright, fresh
and open to the elements — an apparent
contradiction for a basement.
The Hot Dip Galvanizing Awards competition attracts a wide variety of entries from
the small-scale highly crafted to the large, urban environment changing projects.
This always creates a dilemma for the judges to achieve a balanced approach in
weighing up the merits of each individual entry. The 2009 competition, sponsored by
Zinco UK, continued to elicit strong views and opinions.
Galvanizing Awards
Hot Dip Galvanizing Awards 2009 The Winners
By Iqbal Johal
6 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
1
3
4
2
2009
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Galvanizing Awards
8 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
5
6
7
The completed building has a two-storey deep
gym, lit from one side, via a light well, creating
an unusually dynamic space that is part inter-
nal, part external. On the south side of the gym,
still underground, are two floors of studios, and
above these are three further floors of class-
rooms all linked by a new vertical circulation
core. Materials used throughout the project
were lightweight and industrial (hence the use
of galvanizing) but detailed to give the impressi-
on of a highly bespoke piece of architecture.
Judges comments
“It is often that the most ambitious of briefs
married with the most restrictive of sites drives
an architect to new levels of invention, in this
case the restrictions of an inner-city site, com-
plicated by issues of conservation and history
drove the architect underground. There is a
sense that materials and technology were
harnessed for the purposes of making architec-
tural space of a particular quality – the making
a place of learning, of community, a memo-
rable place just to be a young student.“
Sustainable Award WinnerElmpark Green Urban Quarter –Bucholz McEvoy Architects (�-8)Elmpark offers the possibility of a new type of
urban environment in Dublin. It is a large func-
tionally diverse ensemble of elements integra-
ted harmoniously within its urban landscape.
The urban quarter took 4 years to complete at
a cost of 310 million euros. It comprises of a
hospital, hotel, offices, apartments, a leisure
centre, restaurant and seven acres of public
garden. Orientation of buildings along a north
south axis provides maximum constant daylight
and open views of the nearby mountains and
the sea. Through orientation of the buildings,
employment of the façades and building fabric
as replacements for mechanical ventilation has
resulted in an overall energy footprint of just
20% of Electricity Supply Board estimates.
The palette of materials used also plays a
major role within the sustainable context of
the project with timber and galvanized steel
making a vital contribution.
The elegant façade system is supported
both internally and externally by a network
of galvanized steel and the flowing landscape
is broken by a series of pergolas that are
constructed also using galvanized steel.
Fundamental design concepts were followed
to maximise the sustainability credentials of
the whole development:
Energy Strategy
• Minimizing energy consumption through
design of the built environment by means of
orientation, building height and width
• Employing the buildings structure and
façades as part of the ventilation strategy
which harnesses the energy of the significant
prevailing winds
• Electricity is generated on-site and hot water
supplied to apartments as a by-product.
• Residential buildings – design of individual
apartments as through apartments with
west facing areas and east facing sleeping
areas
Design Strategy
• Landscape taken from the 3 major lands-
capes of Dublin: seaside, mountain, and
park landscapes
• Buildings lifted off the ground. Ground plane
and ‘finely-scaled’ programme elements
added to the landscape to provide scale and
activity
• Orientation of office buildings to minimize
energy use
• Location and orientation of residential buil-
dings to establish residential quarter within
the site.
Galvanizing Awards
Hot Dip Galvanizing | 9
2009
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8
9
10
The dynamic space that has been created at
one level is huge in scale but at the same time
still manages to communicate a perception
of space that provides a feeling of comfort
and ease. This no doubt helps to formulate
clear patterns of movement across the site for
pedestrians, bicycles and cars.
The public concourse acts as the heart of the
scheme becoming a meeting place where
general communal facilities can be located –
cafes, bookshops and sheltered, lightweight,
tensile-fabric canopies.
Judges comments
“Minimising energy use has fundamentally
influenced both orientation and façade design.
Together these factors have produced a design
that is not only highly sustainable, but one
which is undeniably architecture with a
capital 'A'.“
Galvanizing in Engineering WinnerColchester Community Stadium - Barr Technical Services (9,10)The Colchester Community Stadium, cons-
tructed in a prominent location adjacent to the
A12 on the northern outskirts of Colchester,
is an all-seater football stadium, the home of
Colchester United.
The stadium has a capacity of 10,000, with
potential to increase this to 18,000.
The project was largely paid for by Colchester
Borough Council, with additional grants from
the Football Foundation, the Communities and
Local Government, and the East of England
Development Agency.
The site contains more than 600 parking
spaces and two synthetic surface football
pitches, for use by the Colchester United
Community Sports Trust.
The complex also encompasses a variety
of sporting, leisure and business facilities,
including hospitality suites.
Galvanizing Awards
2009
3/4
10 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
11 12
The decision to use a simple four stand design
principle helped keep costs down and this ethic
was further enhanced by the extensive use of
galvanized steel throughout the project.
Judges comments
“The clarity of the proposition - the matter-of-
fact repetition of four independent stands –
is reinforced by the directness of the cons-
truction. This is not a flamboyant display of
over-complicated engineering solutions, it is the
resolution of a brief through the use of stan-
dard steel elements. The quality of the design
is in its directness, economy and clarity, cha-
racteristics essential to good engineering.“
Duplex Award WinnerVassall Road Housing and Medical Centre - Tony Fretton Architects (11,12) Tony Fretton Architects has completed this
hybrid development located on the corner of
Holland Grove and Vassall Road in Lambeth,
South London.
The 1490m² building comprises of ten apart-
ments and a medical centre, which occupies
the entire ground floor.
The new three and four storey development
replaces a derelict pub, which originally served
residents of the surrounding housing estate.
The building is designed to mitigate the dispa-
rity between the 1960’s brick social housing
which has been retrofitted with plastic framed
windows and pitched roofs, and the dignified
arrangement of eighteenth century suburban
villas opposite.
The design of the building presents itself as a
formal terrace within a galvanized railed garden
consisting of the doctors’ surgery as a base,
a row of seven maisonettes and three single-
storey flats arranged in a tower configuration
on the corner of the development.
Windows and balconies at the first floor are
a response at a smaller scale to the villas
opposite.
The galvanized steel and the red brick façades
have been painted to simulate the aged qua-
lity of the locale. All the apartments have two
bedrooms and are scaled to appeal to small
families, retired couples or single people wor-
king from home. The flats are also south facing
and feature balconies providing connections to
the wider neighbourhood.
This is accentuated by the rear elevation being
stepped back to create a planted communal
terrace. The essence of the project exudes the
feel of an elegantly, carefully crafted, light filled
building proving that economically conceived
housing can be attractive and desirable.
Judges Comments
“The use of galvanizing here for external bal-
conies and railings, albeit coated in MIO paint,
shows a belief by the architects in the reliability
and longevity of the material in keeping with
the aspiration that the development bed down
into its context. Like the villas opposite and
housing around, it is hoped that this contempo-
rary vernacular will become language accepted
by the locality and integrate over time, into the
broader urban grain.“
Galvanizing in Detail Joint WinnerKielder Observatory - Charles Barclay Architects (13,14) Charles Barclay Architects won an inter-
national competition to build an astronomical
observatory at Kielder Water and Forest Park,
Northumberland.
Hot Dip Galvanizing | 11
13
14 15
Located in the wild landscape close to the
border with Scotland, the area is perfect for
siting an observatory as it has the lowest level
of light pollution in England.
The design brief called for an inexpensive
building suitable to house two telescopes and
a warm room, primarily intended for amateurs
and outreach work but also suitable for
scientific research.
The telescopes have concrete-filled tubular
galvanized steel columns as their mounts,
entirely separate from the timber structure to
ensure they are vibration-free.
The traditional domed form of the telescope
enclosures was rejected to take advantage of
the self-transforming possibilities of rotating
architecture.
The observatory accommodation was arranged
sequentially as a series of event spaces,
creating a 'promenade architecturale' and the
possibility of having a number of separate
groups on the observatory at the same time.
Judges Comments
“The project might be described as a finely-
crafted timber vessel containing precious
cargo - two elegant telescopes. It seemed to
the jury to be more reminiscent of the
technology of the sea – a Victorian pier or
promenade rather than that of the sky, an
astronomical instrument.
The project exemplifies how attention to detail
and assembly can transform a modest palette
such as timber and steel.“
Galvanizing in Detail WinnerSpringhill/Hockley Sculptures - Ian Moran - Artist Blacksmith (1�)The sculptures are a result of working with five
primary schools in the Springhill/Hockley area
of Birmingham initiated by Birmingham City
Council with Urban Living Funding.
The aim of the project was to inspire the
children and educate them about their local
history and heritage, building a greater Commu-
nity cohesion through working with a variety of
schools.
Although there are five separate sculptures
at the moment they can be relocated together
as 25 frames in any number of interesting
configurations. The frame solution came from
collaborative work with some of the children.
The use of galvanizing was an integral part of
the project using its crystalline appearance to
enhance the detail of the sculptures and to
give them uniformity.
The galvanized finish also enabled an extra
dimension to be added to some of the
elements by polishing, gilding and decorative
welding.
One of the objectives of the sculptures was to
relate them back to the myriad of associated
metalworking trades prevalent in the area.
Judges Comments
“Once this project had grabbed the imagination
of the judges it refused to let go.
The result is five galvanized sculptures at the
entrance to five schools that not only speak of
a successful creative endeavour by individual
students, but a wider wish to connect, through
design, a whole inner city community.
The pervasiveness and importance of this
vision, realised despite limited funding, has
resulted in a project on a scale of social ambi-
tion, that punches way above the requirements
of the original brief.“
2009
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12 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
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Innovation Award WinnerThe Roundhouse - Roundhouse Building Solutions (16-18) Agricultural buildings have barely changed
since the development of the portal frame over
50 years ago, their monolithic structures having
striking similarities with warehouses in the
urban environment.
The design of an agricultural building that
provides natural ventilation without signifi-
cantly increasing the cost of the building was
considered to be the Holy Grail of agricultural
design. The Roundhouse was a eureka moment
with the realisation that a round building
would naturally aspirate like a chimney.
Round buildings are obviously not new,
having their origins in the Bronze Age, but
conventionally constructed they are notoriously
expensive.
The Roundhouse has been designed in
conjunction with Newcastle University and
Arups, using tensile fabric technology for the
roof. More usually associated with architec-
tural feature roofs, this technology would
have prohibitive costs for one-off projects in
agriculture.
One of the challenges facing the designers was
to find ways of reducing the manufacturing and
construction costs in order to compensate for
the more expensive roof covering.
It was felt that a round building could offer
other significant benefits for animal welfare,
handling and safety. By including a crowd pen
in the centre of the building all pens could
funnel to the centre allowing the animals to be
moved into the handling area safely and with
minimum stress.
By careful engineering, the final design concept
results in a light yet stable structure.
Galvanizing was a natural choice to protect
all of the steelwork in order to increase the
buildings longevity and give clean light
reflecting lines.
Judges Comments
“The Roundhouse combines simplicity with
originality and this is what makes it stand out
as an exceptional example of innovation.
The new design concept has created a
portable, demountable building that creates
minimum stress to the animals it houses.
It has saved 50% on labour costs, 75% on
veterinary medication and a 15% saving on
bedding materials compared to standard
buildings of its type.“
Photos:
(1, 3, 4) Richard Davies
(2) Morley von Sternberg
(5, 6, 7, 8) Michael Moran
(9, 10) Barr Technical Services
(11, 12) Peter Cook
(13, 14) Charles Barclay Architects
(15) Ian Moran
(16, 17, 18) Simon Pelly
Architecture
House extension in BergenOptimising existing footprint
By Gerard Reimerink
Hot dip galvanized steel plays an important part in the extension of a house in Bergen
op Zoom. The lightweight extension, where every additional kilogramme was critical,
has been added to the existing office bungalow.
Archipelontwerpers (designers) have come up
with a clever idea of doubling the floor area of
an existing bungalow by extending vertically,
optimising the existing footprint with the light-
weight additional storey.
Extensive savings have been made in the total
weight of the extension by using steel instead
of concrete. This was essential because the
foundation of the existing bungalow was barely
able to support any additional weight.
Galvanizing ensures the steel has the best
possible protection against corrosion and long
life is therefore guaranteed while the galva-
nized steel which is largely visible requires little
or no maintenance.
In order to reduce the weight and make maxi-
mum use of the view, the living area of the new
and extended building has been situated on
the first floor. The bedrooms, hall and storage
area are situated on the ground floor within the
existing building, which has been completely
renovated. Galvanized steel has been used
extensively throughout the house, particularly
for the stairs, ceiling and kitchen components.
The new extension protrudes over the shorter
walls of the bungalow. Along one of the longer
walls, space has been reserved for a wide
terrace over the whole length of the living floor.
A second outside area offering fine views of
a historic windmill and sports fields in the
neighbouring area has been constructed on
the roof of the extension.
The additional extension provides a surface
area of approximately 250 m2 and has been
constructed on a rectangular galvanized steel
frame on the roof of the original bungalow.
The extension is made from pure and plain
materials and consists of aluminium walls and
a timber terrace.
Project details:
Architect: Ir. Eric Vreedenburgh (Archipelontwerpers),
Scheveningen
Construction: Goldwijk bv, Doetinchem and Breda
Photos: Stichting Doelmatig Verzinken, Nieuwegein
2009
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Hot Dip Galvanizing | 13
Hot Dip Galvanizing
Street furniture design from Germany
By Holger Glinde and Iqbal Johal
Recent work that has been done by CABE
(Commission for Architecture and the Built
Environment) highlights the problems and
issues that need to be addressed:
“Our streets, squares and town centres
embody thousands of years of collective
wisdom about urban place making.
But the quality of these spaces has been com-
promised with pollution, congestion and noise.
To be sustainable and fit for purpose in the
21st century, streets need to respond to the
demands of climate change and shifts in
culture. As streets make up about 80 per cent
of our urban public spaces it’s critical that we
get their design right.
Professionals working in design and manage-
ment must make a combined effort to produce
the best possible streets. We need to build
the knowledge and confidence of professionals
to deliver streets and spaces that put
people first.”
Principles of successful street designCABE Space has developed five key principles
that local authorities and others involved in
street design should follow.
“The challenges we face in achieving better
streets are not merely technical. This way to
better streets looks at the challenges facing
practitioners who believe streets are much
more than conduits for traffic.”
Five key principles have emerged:
1. Vision
Maintain a strong physical and organisational
vision. Solve problems within the framework
of a strong physical vision, adapting structures
and service delivery accordingly.
2. Commitment
Be committed to long delivery timescales
and to management and maintenance after
delivery.
3. Integration
Accommodate people and the various ways of
travelling in streets. Connect street networks to
help people to choose to travel sustainably.
4. Adaptation
Take account of climate and culture change in
order to deliver sustainable spaces that are fit
for purpose in the 21st century.
�. Coherence
Deliver well-conceived projects where organisa-
tional, political and technical issues are
resolved into a coherent design solution.
Examples of street furniture from GermanyStreet furniture has a fundamental role to play
within the context of the above framework laid
down by CABE. Important aspects of street
furniture design have to take into account the
external location and problems of permanent
exposure to the environment. Unfortunately,
acts of vandalism also have to be considered
within the design brief.
Our streets make up a large portion of our public space so it is vital that we get
the design right and improve upon scant regard that sometimes past generations
have given to our urban context. We feature excellent examples of street furniture
design from Germany.
4 | Thermisch Verzinken
2009
03
1
2
3
Hot Dip Galvanizing
Hot Dip Galvanizing | 1�
But even for normal use, robustness is a
necessary and indispensable characteristic
for present-day street furniture design.
Apart from being appropriately constructed, its
most important criterion is to be made from
materials which guarantee these requirements.
This is where hot dip galvanized steel offers
one of the best solutions. It not only provides
long-term corrosion protection, but its inherent
toughness characteristics enable it to withstand
the rigours of everyday use.
The featured products not only show an eye
for detail but also how they easily fit into their
urban context:
The Isarna product family (4) highlights a
minimalist effect that uses galvanized coated
steel plate to create an organic flowing design.
The bench for “hanging around” (2) the
objective of this product is to counter the habit
of youngsters who prefer to sit on the back
support rather than the seat itself.
One of the products (1) takes the equivalent
of a modern office chair and creates a light,
elegant version for the outdoors.
This is a simple, linear design which combines
the use of galvanized steel and solid timber
providing a modern equivalent to the traditional
park bench (6).
Manufacturers’ websites:
www.westeifel-werke.de
www.michow.com
www.reichenberg-weiss.de
Photos: (1,2,3,4) Michow, (5) Reichenberg-Weiss,
(6) Westeifel-Werke
2009
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4
5
6
Cangas still has a fishing fleet, even today, and
it leaves harbour every day to head out into the
Atlantic to fish. However, there is an absence of
dilapidated fishermen’s huts and boathouses,
such as can be found in quite a few ports in
Southern Europe.
Instead, you see a long, stretched-out harbour
building, which blends harmoniously into
its background, and which is used by the
fishermen.
The building stands along one of the harbour
walls which dampens the waves from the
Atlantic Ocean. Jesús Irisarri Castro and
Guadalupe Piñera Manso have designed the
new buildings.
The modernistic design plays with the effects
of light, shade and transparency. Its façades
and surfaces contribute to this, and are con-
sciously restricted to the use of one material –
galvanized steel.
Hot dip galvanized plates are used as façade
panels for the building itself and grids made
from galvanized steel envelop the building
and create net-like cages which can be used
as storage areas. They also link and define the
individual buildings.
Apart from the design qualities of space and
volume, there were also corrosion technology
grounds for using hot dip galvanizing.
The harbour building is very close to the sea,
and so is exposed to a high level of salt and
sea spray. There was also the expected rough
treatment that the fishermen would impose
on their surroundings. The robust nature
of galvanizing would also withstand such
treatment.
The harbour building for the fishermen of
Cangas was awarded the European
Galvanizers’ Prize for 2009.
Architects: Jesús Irisarri Castro y Guadalupe
Piñera Manso
Photos: ATEG, Spanien
Architecture
Fishermans' Wharf Warehouses, Spain Simple, modernistic design
By Holger Glinde
The small port of Cangas lies not far from the North-Western Spanish town of Ponte-
vedra, one of the stations for millions of pilgrims following St. James’ road to Com-
postella. It is a place of bustling activity. Boats arrive and leave, fishermen bring their
catch ashore, and little cafes, bars and restaurants cater for the tourists and the
locals. As in many places, the scene in the harbour is dominated by modern motor-
powered and sailing yachts, together with smaller leisure vessels, large numbers of
which can be found at the moorings along the jetties.
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Since 2002, a completely new urban district called the Dichterswijk has been created
in the centre of Utrecht, south of the Central Station on a former industrial site.
This is also the location of the old harbour which was very important in the days when
fruit and vegetables were being supplied and shipped for the auction.
The harbour at the exhibition and congress
centre known as ‘de Jaarbeurs’ in Utrecht has
been given a modern role as a result of the
efforts of the Historic Harbour Initiative Group.
At the same time, history is being preserved by
repositioning the funnels and a crane on the
embankment, and the mooring of ten historic
ships including a copy of the Utrecht State-
Yacht of 1746.
Harbour Post The Dichterswijk was created
completely in line with the function and layout
of this complex of harbours and waterways.
Three functionsThe building houses a restaurant, an area for
the volunteers who maintain the historic ships
and installations and an information centre
for the current and future residents of the
new district.
The Utrecht State-Yacht spends part of the year
moored at the Harbour Post and can be
booked for events via the restaurant.
Construction The whole of the supporting structure has been
carefully designed and detailed so that it can
be constructed from galvanized steel.
This will ensure the durability of the supporting
structure for many years in a location where
rain, wind and condensation have free rein.
Architecture
Harbour Post, UtrechtMulti-functional building
By Gerard Reimerink
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18 | Hot Dip Galvanizing
MaterialThe solid volume of the building is brought
to life by the introduction of large protruding
glazed areas.
A bay is situated between each of the four
purple brick walls. This is where galvanized
steel is being used, in a similar way as on the
terrace above the harbour.
Part of the building has been constructed on
the historic embankment and part of it has
been built in the water.
To this end, a concrete container which serves
as a cellar has been sunk into the water next to
the embankment.
Sluijmer & Van Leeuwen architects have used
the structure as a starting point and integrated
this into its surroundings. The details are pure
and refined.
The combination with bricks has been brought
together in a harmonious way. The architects
have used the galvanized steel structure as a
starting point for the building; this structure
supports and dominates the construction and
is made into one entity with the brick skin.
Project details:
Architects: Michael van Leeuwen and
Mariken van Nimwegen, Utrecht
Steel construction: Gebr. Van Echteld, Wijk bij Duurstede
Construction advice: Pieters Bouwtechniek, Utrech
Photos: Ger van der Vlugt, Amsterdam
Architecture
HOT DIP GALVANIZING
An international journal published jointly by the galvanizing associations of Germany,
The Netherlands and Great Britain. It is licensed to associations in Spain.
Edited by: G. Deimel, H. Glinde (Editor in Chief), I. Johal, D. Baron,
Drs. G. H. J. Reimerink
Published by: Galvanizers Association, Wren’s Court,
56 Victoria Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B72 1SY, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 121 355 8838 Fax: +44 (0) 121 355 8727
E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.galvanizing.org.uk
This magazine may not be copied without the written permission of the editor © 2009.
Distributed in Australia by: Galvanizers Association of Australia, 124 Exhibition Street,
Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia, Tel: 0396541266, Fax: 0396541136,
E-mail: [email protected]
The Electric Fountain is a spectacular, public
artwork by British artists Tim Noble and Sue
Webster which was temporarily displayed in the
plaza at Rockefeller Center in New York earlier
this year.
The 10.72 metre high, 10.6 metre diameter,
3D steel and light sculpture weighs over
27 tonnes and contains 3,390 LED bulbs and
527 metres of neon tubing. The design and
sequencing of the blue and white lights
replicates the movement of water: streaming,
pooling, splashing and flowing, creating a
hypnotic experience for the estimated 250,000
people who viewed the spectacle daily.
A team of experts from Aachen, Germany, spent
over a year fabricating Electric Fountain from a
rough sketch provided by Noble and Webster,
who also helped install it. The Fountain
represents Noble & Webster's modern take
on the world's oldest form of public art, the
fountain.
It simultaneously references iconic pop culture
symbols, such as marquee signs in Las Vegas
and Times Square, and historical fountains
built in civic spaces, such as Bernini's Triton
Fountain.
"The project mimics the tradition of a fountain
as a monument found in public squares around
the world, but its magic lies in the emulation
of light where water should be," said artist Sue
Webster. "During daylight hours the viewer will
really get a sense of Electric Fountain's archi-
tectural and sculptural qualities as the lights
react with the changing moods of New York
City's daily weather conditions.
As nighttime falls, the sculptural form will
slowly disappear into darkness leaving only the
illusion of bright cascading water in its wake."
Photo: Michael Hammers Studios, Wesseling
Galvanizing in Detail
Galvanizing Delight
2009
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