Kraaijvanger

"Designed as a single expressive gesture and actually no more than two 90 m high towers connected by steel trusses, thenew municipal office of Utrecht has a special main structure due to the large spans, the many voids and the iconic facade diagonals that work together with the cores." In the trade journal 'Building with steel' there is an extensive article about the construction of the municipal office in Utrecht. He speaks Harm Hoorn, consulting engineer atZonneveld Ingenieurs from Rotterdam. Especially the diagonals in the facade raise the question whether they have a constructive function.

Harm Hoorn responds to this in the article: "The diagonals work together with the cores, the cores are beveled by the diagonals, like the mast of a sailing ship, and the diagonals are also essential for the payment of the vertical load." The overhanging facades and the large facade openings prevent the load can be transported directly to the foundation and the diagonals take care of the load transfer ". Curious about the complete article? Read it here