Description
of Structure
ROLL SLOWLY
TO DESCONSTRUCT
NERVI'S SPORTS PALACE
Nervi's plastic use of steel-reinforced concrete expressed the lines of principle stress with a marriage of aesthetics and engineering efficiency. By slowly deconstructing the Palazzo dello Sport, we may trace the primary force members (from the dome through its 48 fanned structural members and inclined support columns) as they transmit their load to the foundation along the tangent plane from the thrust of the dome, seating banks and periferal gallery. Note particularly the angular displacement of the primary columns as the resultant shifts to accommodate the thrust of the dome and gallery roof.
Lara
K. Davis,
MArch candidate
MIT Department of Architecture
Email: ldavis24@mit.edu
