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156 STRUCTURE AS ARCHITECTURE▲ 7.51 Stadelhofen Railway Station, Zürich, Switzerland, Santiago Calatrava, 1990.Cambering the beams and the ‘sloping columns’ visually lighten the shopping mall.Lightness to heavinessDesigners often seek to maximize ingress of natural light and achieve ahigh degree of transparency in external walls as discussed more extensivelyin Chapter 8. They usually adopt a strategy entailing many slender,rather than fewer larger members. As noted at the Louvre pyramid, whilestructure might exhibit acceptable qualities of lightness and transparency,from some viewpoints its appearance is less successful. It is important toremember that people mostly view and experience structure frompositions other than those used to generate plans, sections and elevations.Sensitivity to human proximity also motivates a lightness of touch indetailing. Visual harshness of members and perceptions of size can berelieved by introducing curved surfaces, as in the subterranean Museumof Gallo-Roman Civilization, Lyons (see Figs 6.30 and 6.31). Chamferingthe lower third of the deep beams and the smooth curved transitionsbetween the columns and beams softens their visual impact and rendersthe structure less formidable. Rounded surfaces incorporated into theprecast concrete floor units also ‘soften’ the concrete soffits and achievean attractive textured ceiling. Concrete surfaces can also be ‘softened’ ina tactile and visual sense by sandblasting, as in the Cambridge LawFaculty Building, Cambridge (see Fig. 7.61), or by light bush-hammering.▲ 7.52Pier detailing.The Stadelhofen Railway Station underground mall, Zürich, also exemplifiesdetailing that visually lightens otherwise large concrete members(Figs 7.51 and 7.52). Pier detailing incorporates two setbacks in plan