Palais Des Arts

Palais des Arts is a modular, open-air theater and performance venue commissioned in Libreville, Gabon.

location

Libreville, Gabon

client

ANGT (Agence Nationale des Grands Travaux)

status

Construction Drawings

year

2013

collaborators

Aranda\Lasch & Westlake Reed Leskosky, Architects

AKT

Structural Engineering

Arup

Lighting

Reflected Ceiling Plan

Cross Section

Reciprocal Modular Stress Skin Structure

The structural system proposed for the canopy roof is a prefabricated component based system, assembled on site as a kit-of-parts. Each component consists of a “stress skin” panel where top and bottom surfaces contribute to the strength and stiffness of the structure.

Typical Aluminum Extrusion Details

View from the top of the seating

Folded Paper Study Models

An interlocking reciprocal pattern is proposed to allow each plane of the roof to act as a two way spanning slab as well as mobilizing in plane stiffness and allow a very slender structure.

Assembly Diagram: A single modular aluminum extrusion forms panels, trees, then larger structure

Elevation

An interlocking reciprocal pattern is proposed to allow each plane of the roof to act as a two way spanning slab as well as mobilizing in plane stiffness and allow a very slender structure.

Approach from public plaza

Deflection Analysis

Structural analysis of the aluminium stress skin to ensure the allowable deflection.