«Stability and elegance»: the British Petroleum suspended structure in Antwerp (1959-1963)
(2024) History of Engineering, Proceedings of the 6th International Conference, Atti del 10^ Convegno Nazionale — ISBN: [9788886638944], accepted/in-press
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- Abstract
- The British Petroleum's head office in Antwerp represents a major contribution to the history of European engineering. «First suspended structure realized on the old continent», it was designed by architects Léon Stynen (1899-1990) and Paul de Meyer (1922-2011), in collaboration with Joseph Reusens, and structurally calculated by engineers from Constructor engineering firm. Recognized as a remarkable construction, the tower is characterized by an essential glazed curtain wall, a direct reflection of its refined steel structure. It is the result of the fruitful cooperation between architects and engineers, a rare example of the so-called «bridge-building type», where a light system of hangers suspends eleven office floors, minimizing the load-bearing elements’ impact on the ground. The building, which represents the technical expression of an innovative architectural type, thoroughly theorized as quickly forgotten, is finally placed back in the broader historical and engineering context of the era that allowed its erection. First scientific analysis, the present paper aims to retrace the building phases of a «complete architectural object», from the early design proposals and the meticulous materials research to the pioneering choice of a hanging structure, focusing on the construction process and its technological challenges. Based on the comprehensive analysis of largely unpublished archival documentation, the contribution aims to redefine the role of a pivotal building for European engineering history, a concrete expression of «an original and audacious technique».
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Galbiati, G., Graf, F., & Marino, G. (2024). «Stability and elegance»: the British Petroleum suspended structure in Antwerp (1959-1963). In Andrey A. Radionov, Dmitrii V. Ulrikh, Svetlana S. Timofeeva, Vladimir N. Alekhin, Vadim R. Gasiyarov (eds.) (ed.), History of Engineering, Proceedings of the 6th International Conference, Atti del 10^ Convegno Nazionale. Springer. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/239941