HI-TECH ARCHITECTURE
SLIDE BY
SRIMATHI PAARI
I YEAR, M. ARCH
PMIST
An architectural style is characterized by
The features that make a building or other structure notable or historically
identifiable. It includes elements such as
• Form
• Method of construction
• Building material
• Regional character
HI-TECH
Architecture
Where it started?
High-tech architecture, also known as Structural Expressionism, is an
architectural style that emerged in the 1970s, incorporating
elements of high-tech industry and technology into building design.
High-tech architecture appeared as a revamped modernism, an
extension of those previous ideas aided by even more advances in
technological achievements.
High-tech architecture is known as Late Modernism OR
Structural Expressionism
Some History
• Buildings in this architectural style were constructed mainly in Europe and North
America. After the destruction of many historic buildings in Europe during World
War II, repairing them was a difficult matter. Architects had to decide between
replicating the historic elements or replacing it with new modern materials and
aesthetics.
• The scientific and technological advances had a big impact on societies in the
1970s. These advances set people's minds thinking that much more can be
achieved with advancing technology.
• Technological instruments became a common sight for people at the time because
of the use of ramps, video screens, headphones, and bare scaffolds. These high-
tech constructions became more visible everyday to the average person.
• The enthusiasm for economic building led to extremely low quality finishes of the
buildings. Many of the residential estates designed degenerated into slums. As a
result people became disillusioned with this progress and the West began to
acknowledge this failure.
• Hi-Tech is a response to this to take Modernist aims to other extremes and in doing
so, it creates a newer aesthetic: boasting the glamour of greater leaps in
technology.
About the style
• Like Brutalism, Structural Expressionist buildings
reveal their structure on the outside as well as
the inside, but with visual emphasis placed on
the internal steel and/or concrete skeletal
structure as opposed to exterior concrete walls.
High-tech buildings are often called machine-like.
Steel, aluminium, and glass combine with brightly
colored braces, girders, and beams.
• Many of the building parts are prefabricated in a
factory and assembled later. The support beams,
duct work, and other functional elements are
placed on the exterior of the building, where they
become the focus of attention. The interior
spaces are open and adaptable for many uses
About the style
• High-tech architecture aimed to give everything an industrial appearance.
• conversion of former industrial spaces into residential spaces, The pieces still
served a purpose in the building's function. This strengthens the impact of
the object in a high-tech style, both in terms of functional and visual matter.
• Integrating Technical elements, such as blinds or solar cells, are a kind of
modern ornament, especially when put together in repetitive sequence.
Characteristics of Hi-Tech
1. The emphasis on exposed colored technical elements.
2. The prominent display of the building's technical and functional components on
the external façade.
3. The use of pre-fabricated elements, glass walls and steel frames.
4. Technology being the main feature of the building.
5. Architecture design is very much functionally orientated.
6. The large interior open space and the easy access to all floors
7.Neatness in architectural design.
8. The high-tech buildings make persistent use of glass curtain walls and steel
structure.
9.It is greatly indebted to modern architecture, and influenced by Mies van der
Rohe's high-rise buildings.
Some Philosophy
“The best architecture comes from the synthesis of all the
elements that separately comprises a building”
by Norman Foster
• The Structure that holds the building up
• The Services that allows the building to work
• The Materials used
• Character of the spaces
• The Way in which the building affects the public
Principles of the style
Symbiosis of Technology
• Adopting new technologies from engineering and other
technologies, and the celebratory display of building’s
construction and services.
• John Hancock center, considered on of the oldest hi-tech
building, which was toped out on 1968.
100 storey, 1127 foot tall skyscraper. Tallest building in the
word outside New York City.
Exposed Structure
• Exposed Stairs, Ducts, Mechanical services,
Sometimes the Structure itsef.
Stair- A Dynamic moving system which gives
people a way to move and to circulate outside
the building itself.
• Pompidou center To give people a place to
meet and to keep the nature of the long
street, and in order to create a dynamic
circulation and movement with no
interruption
By Richard Roger “Designing not only for
the client its also for the general public”
• HSBC BANK by NORMAN FOSTER
Pushing the service areas to the edge of
the building created a visual connection
between the users of the building in the
inside
The special volume provided an efficient
lighting system with an efficient heating
system with great circulation experiment
provided while the movement between
the building floors.
• LOYD’S building, A leading example
in which the services of the building
such as ducts and lifts are located on
the exterior to maximize the space
usage on the interior.
Moving structure and services outside
the building provided a great volume
of void space.
Flexible interiors
• As the services are moved outside
the building a huge space in the
interior lets the people socialize,
thus the hi-tech style satisfies both
the
Functional necessity
Social necessity
Materials
After the Industrial revolution Architects
needed to represent the Technological
influence in the buildings, where material
played a major role. Responsive,
Transparent, Lightweight materials were
needed.
• GLASS
• Glass was used widely to provide
transparency to the buildings. Different
types of glass came to the usage,
Photo chromic glass.
Thermo chromic glass.
• Glass is also used to bring in the light to
the hardcore of the interior of the building,
Which made the users feel connected to
the nature.
• Reichstag building dome by
Norman Foster , After the
destruction of the building caused by
world war in Berlin, Foster created a
Dome which symbolizes Democracy
with its Transparency and Natural
light.
• STEEL
Steel has relatively high economic value
‘ it has an inexpensive price’.
It is easily recycled to new applications.
Light weightiness and aesthetical value.
Simplicity in appearance.
Pioneers of Hi-tech Architecture style
Some Case Study Analysis
LONDON CITY HALL by Norman Foster
LOCATION
It is located on the south bank of the river Thames, London. This building
comprises of 10 floors which is 45m high and 185000 sq.ft of floor space.
SHAPE
The Sphere shape protects the building from an uninteresting and harsh
neighborhood. The geometrically modified sphere allows the building not to have
a back or front giving it a seamless look.
ORIENTATION
The city hall is oriented in such a way, where it gets maximum natural light and
eliminates direct sunlight. The building faces south side to captures more sunlight. The
floor pates overhang as a shading device to avoid direct sunlight.
LIGHT
The Triple Glazed windows benefits the building in many ways such as Energy efficient,
Secure, Eliminate noise pollution.
The glazed windows are coated with Planitherm, which captures and saves the sunlight
and reflects it into the room to generate heat.
MATERIALS
GROUND
Stamped concrete is used outside
the city hall. This material is
normally used in pathways and
driveways, and is patterned and
textured before it is dried. This is a
solid and continuous material.
STEEL
This material is used as the base or
skeleton of the building. 4 tons of
steel is used, vertical and horizontal
grids are formed and angled to
create the modified sphere shape
which is to achieve minimal heat
gain in summer and minimal heat
loss in winter.
GLASS
Glass is the main material used.
This is because of the technological
advancement and to create
transparency. Triple glazing
technology gives an efficient usage
of the material.
WATER
The borehole system uses the
ground water to ventilate the
building by pumping the water.
The rainwater is collected and
effectively used
The recycled water is used for
toilets.
