A.3.3 LOUVRE ABU DHABI Ateliers Jean Nouvel Abu Dhabi, UAE The Louvre Abu Dhabi is a planned museum, to be located in Abu Dhabi, UAE reaching into the sea. A large , shallow dome, floats above the collection of buildings, which only four support points around it perimeter truss. The design of the dome takes up the Islamic tradition of the perforated screen and the use of selfsimilarity and fractal organization of pattering to create a special micro-climate below. The exploration an design development of the dome’s patterning and relationship to the environment it creates, as well as the lighting levels, shading ,structural performance and variation of density across the surface, is an interesting tale of integrated modeling , analysis and optimization. As I mentioned before, said by Peter Zumthor, “Architecture is not about form, it is about many other things……The light and the use, and the structure, and the shadow, the smell and so on.” (Frearson, 2013) And this design is a nice approach as a combination of those elements and architecture. Within the parametric design model developed by SMART group, it is possible to play with the relative scale and rotation of each pattern overlay to vary the overall outcome. Based on a rectilinear grid across the dome surface, each layer (the structural space frame and the four layers of cladding) have a basic pattern schema.(as shown in fig.A.3.3.1) In each case, a true design optimisation exersise has been carried out on the dome, using Digital Projects, Ansys and SMART sizer, leading to major cost savings while achieving the deflection, stress and buckling criteria. And the orientation and scale can also be varied. (Buro Happold, 2012)
Fig. A.3.3.1 18
The complex perforated dome is achieved, and it also emerges with nature. “This complex aesthetic is an expression of its performance in occluding light and economy of support”, and it is designed to work in tandem with the natural environment.