world news
UK Architects Win US$25,000 American Award
Two Scottish architects, Mr. James Stirling and Mr. James Gowan, have been awarded the 1965 US$25,000 R. S. Reynolds Memorial Award administered by the American Institute of Architects.
This is the first time the award has gone to British architects. It was made to Mr. Stirling and Mr. Gowan for their design of the Department of Engineering build- ing at Leicester University.
The award, largest in architecture, was established in 1957 by the Reynolds Metals Company in honour of its founder R. S. Reynolds. It is given annually for a "distinguished achievement in architecture with significant use of aluminium.”
Swedish Architecture on Colour Slides
A COLOUR slide library of Swedish architecture and town. planning, including public and industrial buildings and selected modern city centres, has been formed by Sweden's Museum of Architecture in Stockholm for distribution abroad.
Behind the project is the Swedish Institute, which plans to send the slides to a number of countries ac- companied by explanatory text and lectures оп the subject.
In all, 30 librarie: have been compiled, each con- taining 72 pictures. Fifteen will be sent to Swedish embassies around the world.
Segmented Bridge Construction in Holland
THREE concrete tubes, connected at the top by a single caisson, form each of the 54 piers which will support Europe's longest bridge. Due for completion in the summer of 1966, the bridge will span the River Ooster- scheld in Holland at a point where it is over three miles wide.
Cast in segments, the tubes can be joined to give They the required length for various depths of water. are transported to the site and positioned by a special- ly constructed ship. Once they are correctly placed.
Precast elements are positioned from a temporary steel bridge
Far East Architect & Builder July, 1965
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ROAD STATION:
Full height of 385 ft. has been reached on the latest tower block in Central London, the 35-storey Centre Point at the junction of Tottenham Court Road and New Oxford Street. Of reinforced concrete construction, the block is designed by R. Seifert and Partners, and built by George Wimpey and Co.
the river bed is cut loose and sucked away from under the tubes, allowing them to sink into position.
Precasting of the concrete bridge elements and the caissons is carried out on the river bank. The 400- ton caissons are fixed first on to the tubes and the pier superstructures are placed on the caissons. On to these superstructures go the central bridge sections, each of which weighs 590 tons.
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A temporary steel bridge has been erected the full span of the site and from this hang four 150- ton grabs with suspended pulleys which are used to place the other bridge elements on either side of the central sections.
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In developing a means of joining the elements, the designers, N.V. Combinatie Brug Oosterschelde, c/o Van Hattem and Blankevoort, Beverwijk, Holland, had produce a connection which would allow for tempera- ture movement without permitting mutual movement to be set up by heavy traffic. The Dutch company KONI, Oud-Beijerland, who specialise in shock absorption. produced a hydraulic damper which, under a force of 70,000 lb., will control any movement of the bridge. A 15 cm. movement in either direction. due to tempera- ture change, will not have a noticeable effect on the structure. Each joint will be connected through two shock absorbers, of which 114 will be used in all.
Sliding Formwork Used on Skyscraper
FAST building rates for in-situ concrete construction were achieved on the New York headquarters of the Columbia Broadcasting System. This was the last major project of the late Eero Saarinen and his only skyscraper. The rectangular block, measuring 132 ft. x 162 ft. is 491 ft. high. Around the perimeter are 50 triangular columns, expressed externally for the full building height.
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