Discussion on Structural Design of Century Tower, Tokyo by Mr A.J. Fitzpatrick

Mr G T. Harding (F) (DOE Building Regulations Division) I congratulate the speakers on their achievement for, while I personally consider the buildings to be aesthetically unattractive, the structures they incorporate are clearly of innovative significance.

In August 1993, the Institution - aware of the problems which might be encountered by its Graduate and Corporate members working within the European Community on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications under Community Directive 89/48/EEC - wrote to members working within the EC requesting their views on this issue. At the same time the opportunity was taken to seek views on other Institution matters. The Institution is indebted to John Sykes (a Member working in Germany)for his assistance in framing the questionnaire.

This paper describes and explains the design of the facade structure fronting the Pavilion of the Future, built at Seville for the Universal Exposition 1992. The free-standing facade structure's innovative use of natural stone elements assembled into loadbearing units is detailed, and the various issues that influenced its design are explained. The unique nature of the stonework required a specially devised analysis method, based on non-linear computer software, to make justification of the structure possible. This method is described, together with the other principal features of the justification approach. E.A.R. Lenczner