User:Jrroy0/sandbox

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  The Denver International Airport
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  The Main Terminal

About the Denver Airport

History Denver is a major hub for the US and international flight. But the old airport, Stapleton international Airport, did not use the prevailing winds and weather patterns efficiently. The common delays in Denver would snowball around the country, slowing down the whole system. Design of the new airport begun in 1989.

Features

Design and Structural Features

The DIA’s original design was not what Denver has today. It was an overbudget, ugly design that Fentress Architects took over from another company. Fentress moved all the mechanics (HVAC, etc) off the roof to cut down on dead loads and open up new, radical, roof design possibilites. The final design is a catenary steel cable and mast supported tent structure. The material suspended by the structure is Teflon coated fiberglass. The design is lighter than the original design, went up faster and cost $115 million less over all. The design also allows for a very green & economical approach to energy. The roof is partly translucent, but blocks most solar radiation, lighting but not over-heating the building. It is also set up to allow excellent views of the air fields and the Rockies. The canopy is meant to evoke the shape of the Rockies, and at all angles except straight on, it does so very well. It is a huge sprawling structure that fits well in the open space provided for it. The workings of the structure are plain to see from the inside and the outside. Inside is the 34 masts that support the main canopy, outside is dozens of smaller canopies and roofs, all designed using the same system. Forces paths are simple to see but move in a less linear path along the canopy and into straight lines through the supporting masts and cables. Inside is a wide, high, bright area that evokes flight and lightness. Outside the peaks and cables still evoke lightness, but still look well grounded and stable. At either end is huge windows with miles of views to help make the space seem even larger. The large space is cavernous but not noisy due to the s

As Structural Art

The Denver Airport qualifies as a work of Structural Art. To do so it needs to fulfill several requirements viewed through an engineering lens, it must have scientific, social and symbolic meanings, as well as be efficient, economical and elegant. The Denver International Airport is economical and efficient in its structural and energy uses. Its design is an effective means to support a hig open roof using minimal materials while maximizing strengths. Scientifically it’s experimented with interesting and radical roofing techniques & materials. Its design allows a viewer to easily visualize load paths and structural design. Socially and symbolically it acts as a gateway to Denver, Colorado, and The Rockies. Its interior inspires feelings of the open sky and the long vistas of the west. It does this with an easy grace and a minimum of material and energy. The Denver International Airport succeeds perfectly at being an elegant structure.