The Skeleton_
"There's no doubt that the twisting, pyramid-like tower of the Switch House is an incredible feat of engineering. The building's envelope makes improbable contortions as it rises, with faceted facades enabled by a seriously heavyweight concrete supporting structure. In true Herzog & de Meuron style, the details which create the tapering form are impeccable, and are dramatically revealed to us on the interior, a spectacle conjured from the seemingly mundane. Veiling the structure are 336,000 two-tone custom-made bricks arranged according to a perforated lattice. Here the materiality of Victorian industry is reimagined as an envelope of astounding complexity. Herzog & de Meuron tried a number of different cladding systems, including translucent options in glass and polycarbonate, before settling on this reference to its predecessor's heritage"
Timelapse of the new building extension.
Due to Its unique structure design the tighten of traditional hexagonal nuts in-between the steel columns wouldnt have been unsuccessful due to restricted access. The use of special hydraulic nuts from Tantec solved that problem and ensured the integrity of the joint.
With application of hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic nuts, bolt load is generated effortlessly and the user needs only to insert easily fitted shims to retain the bolt load. The hydraulic pressure is then released and an accurate bolt load is retained.