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Heinz Isler’s Form-Finding Models for his “HIB” Shells: Between Experiment and Design

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Shell and Spatial Structures (IWSS 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering ((LNCE,volume 437))

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Abstract

The Swiss engineer Heinz Isler (1926–2009) is among the most prominent figures in shell design. Thanks to a form-finding approach based on the use of physical models, he designed and built many shell projects in reinforced concrete. His unconventional structures still represent an important source of inspiration for today’s structural engineers. The paper reconstructs Isler’s experimental method by looking at the multiple physical form-finding models he developed for his tennis hall shells. Designed for the first time in 1977, they became one of Isler’s most successful shell typologies, promoted as “HIB” shells in Switzerland. Despite their apparently simple shape, Isler produced the largest number of physical form-finding models for this specific shell type. Their double symmetry challenged his design method: the highest precision was needed to avoid any irregularities in finding the appropriate geometry. By studying the original materials stored at the Heinz Isler Archive (gta Archives, ETH Zurich), details about Isler’s experimental approach to the conceptual design of his shell structures will be revealed for the first time.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Hans Glanzmann, Isler’s longtime collaborator in the office, and Heinz Bösiger, Isler’s contractor, for sharing some memories about the “HIB” shells. Additionally, the authors thank Stefan Liniger for testing the archival findings by reproducing the procedures of Isler’s “HIB” physical form-finding models at ETH Zurich.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architecture, ETH Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland

    Giulia Boller, Philippe Block & Joseph Schwartz

Authors
  1. Giulia Boller
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  2. Philippe Block
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  3. Joseph Schwartz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giulia Boller .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architecture, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy

    Stefano Gabriele

  2. DISEG, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy

    Amedeo Manuello Bertetto

  3. Department Structures for Engineering and Architecture, University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy

    Francesco Marmo

  4. Department Civil and Computer Science Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy

    Andrea Micheletti

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Boller, G., Block, P., Schwartz, J. (2024). Heinz Isler’s Form-Finding Models for his “HIB” Shells: Between Experiment and Design. In: Gabriele, S., Manuello Bertetto, A., Marmo, F., Micheletti, A. (eds) Shell and Spatial Structures. IWSS 2023. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, vol 437. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44328-2_50

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-44328-2_50

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-44327-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-44328-2

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