Sculpture on a Grand Scale : Jack Christiansen's Thin Shell Modernism / Tyler Sprague.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sprague, Tyler, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Shells, Concrete.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (1 online resource xi, 292 pages)

Place of Publication:

Seattle : University of Washington Press, [2019]

Summary:

The Kingdome, John ("Jack") Christiansen's best-known work, was the largest freestanding concrete dome in the world. Built amid public controversy, the multipurpose arena was designed to stand for a thousand years but was demolished in a great cloud of dust after less than a quarter century. Many know the fate of Seattle's iconic dome, but fewer are familiar with its innovative structural engineer, Jack Christensen (1927-2017), and his significant contribution to Pacific Northwest and modernist architecture. Christiansen designed more than a hundred projects in the region: public schools and gymnasiums, sculptural church spaces, many of the Seattle Center's 1962 World's Fair buildings, and the Museum of Flight's vast glass roof all reflect his expressive ideas. Inspired by Northwest topography and drawn to the region's mountains and profound natural landscapes, Christiansen employed hyperbolic paraboloid forms, barrel-vault structures, and efficient modular construction to echo and complement the forms he loved in nature. Notably, he became an enthusiastic proponent of using thin shell concrete-the Kingdome being the most prominent example-to create inexpensive, utilitarian space on a large scale. Tyler Sprague places Christiansen within a global cohort of thin shell engineer-designers, exploring the use of a remarkable structural medium known for its minimal use of material, architectually expressive forms, and long-span capability. Examining Christiansen's creative design and engineering work, Sprague, who interviewed Christiansen extensively, illuminates his legacy of graceful, distinctive concrete architectural forms, highlighting their lasting imprint on the region's built environment. A Michael J. Repass Book

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction. Uncovering an American Shell Designer

Chapter 1. Beginnings: Education in the American Midwest, 19271952

Chapter 2. First Forms: Design with Cylindrical, Barrel-Vaulted Shells, 19541958

Chapter 3. Geometric Complexity: Design with Hyperbolic Paraboloid Shells, 19581966

Chapter 4. An International Showcase: The 1962 Seattle Worlds Fair

Chapter 5. Expanding Audience: Concrete Shells across the United States, 19631971

Chapter 6. The Grandest Scale: The Seattle Kingdome, 19631976

Chapter 7. Retirement and Perseverance: Christiansens Late Career, 19762000

Conclusion The Legacy and Future of Concrete Shells

Appendix: Jack Christiansens Thin Shell Concrete Structures

Notes

Archival and Bibliographic Sources

Illustration Credits

Index

Notes:

"A Michael J. Repass Book".

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780295745626

0295745622

OCLC:

1057241709