Predictability and Variable Topology Structures

In the Amazon Court office building the structure follows the architectural logic without losing its coherence. The roof, the gable facades and the bridges are conceived with respect to the concept of predictability but also are variable topology structures. This latter characteristic allows the separation of the image from the structural functioning: the overall appearance is the superimposition of different and non-simultaneous structural schemes. The variable topology structure is achieved using unilateral restraints, restraints that select forces and allowing cable slacking. The slenderness of the office bridges, the lightness of the ETFE roof and the immateriality of the gable facade prove the viability of this strategy and the capacity of the structure of matching aesthetic context without losing its technical contents.