VI.

CONSTRUCTION Construction system(s): Herzog and de Meuron refer to 1111 as an organism made up of a family of concrete elements, deployed as floor plates, columns and ramps (Homleid, 50). All these concrete elements were designed to have exposed surfaces so the mix of concrete and the potential for cracking and deformations had to be more rigorously controlled to satisfy strength and aesthetic applications, as the structural components and the architectural aspects of the building formed one concept. The superstructure of 1111 consists of reinforced concrete columns, reinforced concrete shear walls and slabs of posttensioned concrete of various thicknesses and spans. The structure is also utilised to hide the mechanical, electrical and piping systems, with the sprinkler pipes housed in the slabs and the rainwater leaders in the columns. The columns vary in shape and size on the different levels with the support cores also varying depending on the shape and load requirements. The foundations of the building consist of cast in place piles, topped with concrete pile caps which are grouped under columns and walls. These foundations are bored to a depth of approx. 12 metres below grade onto the underlying limestone formation. (DM) The approach to the construction of 1111 Lincoln road, especially its structure had an unusual emphasis on the aesthetic appeal of the project. Where a buildings defects that manifest in the joins between different surfaces would be remedied by the application of stucco or rubbed with mortar to impart a smooth but artificial appearance (Homleid 2010, 50) in the case of Lincoln Road, to achieve the skeletal and naked quality of the exposed concrete structure, these imperfections were unacceptable. The concrete mix designs had to be carefully considered not just for strength but also for aesthetic reasons, (Homleid 2010, 49) and thus the mix had to satisfy far more than the local building code suggests. In the construction process Herzog & de Meuron required mock-ups of such structural elements as the columns, the slabs, the slab edges, and the concrete stairs. (Homleid 2010, 49) These mock-ups served to test not only strength and aesthetic but their ability to house and contain building services such as piping, mechanical and electrical systems. The size and shape of the columns become variables informed by both structural requirements and aesthetic desires, which reinforces the concept of design and structure becoming one central concept in the construction of 1111 Lincoln Road. (DL) Materials used a) exterior: Reinforced concrete columns, reinforced concrete shear walls, posttensioned concrete slabs, steel support beams, cast in place concrete piles, concrete pile caps, reinforced concrete beams. (DM) b) interior: Floor plates and their connecting ramps are made of concrete slabs with post tensioned steel cables. Concrete reinforced with steel reinforcement bars constitute the columns. Steel columns support the ground level slab. Environmental Systems: