Week 1 - Excelence in Steel Structures

So, like many architectural minds, the first thing that comes to my mind when asked,

"What is an example of excellence in construction technology in steel?", i think,

well you really can't go past the new Southern Cross station that was recently completed in Melbourne. Love it, or hate it, its here to stay and with it comes a whole new trend in Australian architecture.

Built by Leighton Contractors and designed by architects Grimshaw in association with Daryl Jackson Architects, the design emphasises space and light to meet the needs of people on the move by providing a clear sense of direction in a secure and uncluttered environment.

This is an extreme change from how the station used to be just a couple of years ago, i personally remember having to go through many underground tunnels that would twist and turn in order to get to your intended platform, only to re-surface above ground in a rather dull environment.

Today, however, we have:

The Hero shot.

Designed to be the pinnacle view point, it is this image that architect's want to incribe in the back of your skull, so all you can simply say is "wow".

With a powerful first impression it clearly shows the skeletal design that is anything but basic that makes tourists and residents alike think,

"How the hell did they do that?"

The $700m train station clearly looks the part, but its advanced structure caused many delays and in turn, great frustration for those affected by them.

The roof structure, is unlike to my knowledge, anything like else constructed in Australia.
Its wavy dome-like appearance requires a web of curved and straight cylindrical steel members.

Situated on each platform at 40 metre centres, these Y columns support the main spine trusses between each 'dome'. The spine trusses also sit directly benieth the platforms glass roof to provide natural lighting.