Clear structure, complex structural framework – New construction Bahnhofplatz 1, Altdorf
Ideally suited to the Swiss vacation and travel season, the new rail station building in Altdorf was chosen as the cover picture for the February edition of Beton- und Stahlbetonbau. The illustration refers to the ten-page project report in the magazine. After many public reviews and an award ceremony focusing on the building’s architecture, we now turn the spotlight on the building’s no less remarkable supporting structure. Lüchinger+Meyer accompanied the project from competition to execution in close collaboration with Buchner Bründler Architekten.
Author Heinz Stalder, who as the responsible civil engineer played a major role in the success of the project, explains in a understandable way the structural system developed for the skeleton structure with its prestressed cross beams and tension elements, the activation of an outrigger effect for horizontal load transfer, and the demanding structural design of the nodes in view of difficult geometric boundary constraints. Numerous illustrations supplement the technical interrelationships and provide insight into the extraordinary construction processes and conditions.
The special complexity of the project results from the supporting structure, which was reduced to the minimum, and its simultaneous maximum utilization. As a result, the overall system reacted very sensitively to changes in planning. Ostensibly small adjustments to one structural element often had consequences for other elements, which in many cases had already been optimized to the maximum from a structural point of view. The structural engineers had to be aware of this fact at all times in order to be able to make a comprehensive assessment of all induced effects when questions arose. At the same time, it was important to ensure at all stages of the planning process that the technical implementation of the design was feasible. Particularly in consideration of the high standards of visual expression. The result is an impressive building that could only be realized through the open dialog of all those involved in planning and construction.
(Photo: Rory Gardiner)
