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KANSAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL, JAPAN Client: Kansai International Airport Limited Architect: Renzo Piano Building Workshop Consulting Engineer: Ove Arup & Partners "Renzo Piano, in his competition concept for the terminal, saw a giant bird or plane alighting on the artificial island Skm out in Kansai bay. To this I added the spirit and detailing of the early 20th century Bleriot bi-planes to help make the transition in scale to those who will use it. Once the form of the roof had been defined it was used by my environmental engineering colleague Tom Barker to create overall air control, with a large scale air jet ventilating the whole space and local control wh~re the people are. This was explored and proved through the latest computer software." PR 92 21
The spider and structural engineer both share similar requirements and constraints when designing a new structure. Whether designed to resist wind, snow, or a large fast moving insect, webs and buildings alike must maintain their structural integrity under anticipated loads. Both must minimise construction materials. The spider produces a limited supply of silk which it recycles daily by eating its web. In addition, reducing construction time is not only a cost-cutting measure, but possibly a life-saving one, for the spider is vulnerable to prey every moment that it is building its web. Selecting the most appropriate material is essential too to allow a structure to function as designed and the spider must choose between at least eight different types of silk. Spiders' silk is a very strong natural polymer which can absorb 100 times the energy required to snap a steel thread of equal diameter. It also has the ability to respond to imposed loads - a quick change in length produces a large resisting force which slowly comes to equilibrium over time. The properties of the silk change depending on whether it is wet or dry. Water breaks down the hydrogen bonding between adjacent polymer chains and the overall effect is to increase the elasticity of the thread. The spider uses both wet spiral and dry radial threads in its web. The spiral 'capture' threads are coated with a special glue produced by the spider. This glue provides the 'stickiness' required to entangle prey and absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. A layer of water grows around the thread until it reaches a critical diameter, then it suddenly breaks into tiny droplets. These 'windlasses' are driven by the surface tension of the droplets, and reel in and out the spiral thread to keep it taut. In addition, these tiny droplets serve another unexpected function: they increase air resistance, thus doubling the energy absorbed by aerodynamic damping. The key to the structure of the spider's web lies in its shape and stress distribution. By allowing large elongation of the threads, the maximum proportion of kinetic energy from a flying insect is absorbed as strain energy. The multiple redundancy of the radial threads ensures that the web will function even if many radials break. A distinct structural hierarchy in the web is defined by the large difference in prestress. Radial threads are highly tensioned compared to the spirals. If a bumble bee hits and sticks to a few strands of spiral thread they 'break' the impact because of their highly elastic nature. The load of the bumble bee travels from the spirals to the radials, where much of the kinetic energy is absorbed and then continues straight out to the supports. Meanwhile, the whole web gently vibrates dissipating energy through air resistance. In the past, possible applications for spiders' silk have been limited. Today, however, the technology exists to biosynthesize the silk, This discovery opens up a range of possibilities - perhaps it will soon be possible to build very light, highly elastic structures which actively adapt to their changing environment! 22
Page 2 and 3: Cover design by Frank Stella based
Page 4: CITATION "Peter Rice is one of the
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Page 12 and 13: LLOYDS OF LONDON, LONDON, ENGLAND C
Page 14 and 15: MENIL COLLECTION MUSEUM, TEXAS, USA
Page 16 and 17: LA VILLETIE, PARIS, FRANCE Client:
Page 18 and 19: IBM PAVILION Client: IBM Europe Arc
Page 20 and 21: NUAGES, PARIS, FRANCE Client: SEM T
Page 22 and 23: MOON THEATRE, FRANCE Client: Atelie
Page 26 and 27: SPIDERS' WEBS A collaboration betwe
Page 28 and 29: , THE PAVILION OF THE FUTURE, SEVIL
Page 30 and 31: PADRE PIO CHIESA, PUGLIA, ITALY Arc
Page 32 and 33: GRONINGEN MUSEUM, HOLLAND Client: G
Page 34 and 35: GARE TGV, ROISSY, FRANCE Client: Ae
Page 36 and 37: LILLE CATHEDRAL, FRANCE Client: Dio
Page 38 and 39: JAPAN BRIDGE, PARIS Client: Sari Gr
Page 40 and 41: A ESCH, LUXEMBOURG Client: Town of
Page 42: PYRAMIDE INVERSEE, LOUVRE, PARIS, F
Page 45 and 46: on outer plane of fine tension and
Page 47 and 48: their motives remain obscure and un
Page 50 and 51: BUILDINGS AND PROJECTS A CHRONOLOGY
Page 52 and 53: IBM Pavilion Architect: Renzo Piano
Page 54 and 55: Couverture du Choteou de Foloise, N
Page 56 and 57: Berey 2, France, 1989 Roof system f
Page 58 and 59: Development of gloss system with As
Page 60 and 61: PETER RICE Peter Rice was born in I

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