Aluminium Architecture: Construction and details [Hardcover]

Hugues Wilquin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 1997

Aluminium is an extremely versatile material, its light weight and its resistance to corrosion make it a particularly suitable material for some specific building requirements. Even in the post-war years, aluminium was already playing an innovative role as can be seen in the work of the French engineer, Jean Prouve. For today's sophisticated architecture, aluminium is highly rated with its clear aesthetical qualities and great strength.This book provides a systematic overview of the applications of aluminium as a building material, giving information on the properties of the metal and highlighting the latest technical advances. A selection of some 25 international projects document the application of aluminium in load-bearing structures, facades, roofs and windows. Amongst the projects included are Toyo Ito's Aluminium House in Tokyo, Renzo Piano's Mercedes Benz Design Centre in Stuttgart, SOM's Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, and Norman Fosters Greenwich Transport Interchange.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Hugues Wilquin is an engineer and architect. He is also Professor at the Faculte Polytechnique in Mons, Belgium. He has written diverse publications on architecture

Product Details

• Hardcover: 152 pages
• Publisher: Birkhäuser Architecture; 1 edition (June 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3764364122
• ISBN-13: 978-3764364120
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,937,718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Technology be example of 25 architectural works, June 24, 2011

By 

Eugene Tenenbaum "reluctant reader" (Bronx, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Aluminium Architecture: Construction and details (Hardcover)

An brief description of aluminum technology in architecture with many illustrations black-and-white and color only on pages 11-26, and its application in 25 architectural works depicted in B&W photos, hard line presentation drawings, plans, sections, elevations and sketches of excellent quality, and short project descriptions. Published by Birkhäuser (Basel...) on a high level, graphically beautiful.
CONTENTS:
7 AL is sex, Foreword by Erick van Egeraat
10 The Properties of the material
Corrosion resistance
Reflectivity, thermal and electrical conductivity
Fire resistance
Further properties
13 The alloys and their classification
15 Shaping the material
16 The further processing of aluminium
18 Aluminium in building
Durability
Strength-to-weight ratio
Fire protection
Diverse design options
Thermal performance
The ecological advantages
24 The history of the material
Aluminium in building
26 The production of aluminium
From bauxite to aluminium oxide
From aluminium oxide to aluminium
30 Aluminium House, Tokyo, Japan Toyo Ito & Associates
36 Konigseder House, Baumgartenberg, Austria Helmut Richter
40 Annex for Zita Kern, Raasdorf, Austria ARTECArchitekten
46 Commercial Centre - Le Paquebot, Saint-Nazaire, France Claude Vasconi
50 MABEG Headquarters, Soest, Germany Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners
54 Mura-No Terrace, Gifu, Japan Makoto Sei Watanabe
58 K-Museum, Tokyo, Japan Makoto Sei Watanabe
62 ENT Clinic, Graz, Austria Ernst Ciselbrecht
66 Levi's General European Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium Samyn & Partners
70 Higher Technical Federal School, Kaindorf, Austria Ernst Giselbrecht
76 Book Technology Centre, Bussy-Saint-Georges, France Dominique Perrault
80 Renault Prototype Development Centre - Le Proto, Guyancourt, France Jean-Paul Hamonic
84 Arts and Cultural Centre -- La Filature, Mulhouse, France Claude Vasconi
88 Mercedes-Benz Design Center, Sindelfingen, Germany Renzo Piano Building Workshop
94 Televisa Building, Mexico City, Mexico TEN Arquitectos
100 Reims Convention Centre, Reims, France Claude Vasconi
104 Redevelopment of Borsig Works, Berlin, Germany Claude Vasconi
110 Greenwich Transport Interchange, Greenwich, Great Britain Foster & Partners
114 Brussels Exhibition Centre, Brussels, Belgium Samyn & Partners
118 Conference Centre and Industrial Theatre, Glasgow, Great Britain Foster & Partners
124 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, Hong Kong, China SOM and Wong& Ouyang
130 ING Bank & NNH Headoffices, Budapest, Hungary (EEA) Erickvan Egeraat
136 Extension to ING Bank & NNH Headoffices, Budapest, Hungary (EEA) Erick van Egeraat
140 lchthus College, Rotterdam, Netherlands (EEA) Erick van Egeraat
146 Kikutake Architects Office, Tokyo, Japan Kikutake Architects
150 Index of Names and Places
151 Illustration Credits

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a must reading to understand aluminium in architecture, April 30, 2003

By 

"luiz_valerio" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aluminium Architecture: Construction and details (Hardcover)

I've been in the aluminium industry (specifically what regards building applications) for almost ten years and this book covers a gap that existed in the publishg market, i.e. books concerning roofing applications.

It demonstrates very clearly and in plain English what aluminium is about (the basic principles such as corrosion resistance, alloys, history of the metal and so on), what the possibilities of this versatile material are in building, many case studies and so on.

I think that the author could have informed the details of the suppliers in order to get to know a little bit more about the finished products.

I also consider this a valuable work not only for experienced professionals but also for civil engineering and architecure students because veery little is taught about his metal in those courses.