Article Review

'Tunnel sparks Gaudi cathedral fears’

The Age,
27 April, 2007


The Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona is under threat from a planed bullet train that is to pass just 2 metres from Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece.

A high speed link between Madrid and Barcelona has been approved by the Mayor of Barcelona, the Catalan Premier and the public works ministry, but is still waiting approval from the national government.

Gaudi started his cathedral 120 years ago which is now a UNESCO world heritage site. The tunnel would pass 10 metres below the cathedral; however it is the underground protective barrier that comes within 2 metres of the buildings foundations.

The worry is that the 200,000 tonne cathedral could cause the excavated ground to compress or shift, resulting in a movement in the foundations causing the cathedral to crack and eventually crumble.

Architects and engineers from around the world are up in arms about the proposal, some describing it as a ‘thoughtless act of vandalism’.

Weekly Tutorial Sketches

Gutter Section.Gutter section to lower roof.


Box gutter section.




Parapet section.

Major Assignment

For the major assignment I've chosen design the warehouse and office complex as Santiago Calatrava. He combines his knowledge and experience of architecture and structural engineering to create dynamic structures.

He was born 1951 in Valencia, Spain. He studied architecture at the Architecture School and Arts and Crafts School, Valencia, Spain and graduated in 1975. after completing his degree he went onto study Civil Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, Switzerland. Santiago set up practice in 1981.

His first two projects were in fact warehouse type structures; Jakem Steel Warehouse, Munchwilen, Switzerland1983-84 and the Ernsting Warehouse, Coesfeld, Germany 1983-85.

Some quick key facts on Calatrava's designs;

• express understanding of structure


• makes rigid materials look flexible


• conflicts different materials


• suggests movement.

Ernsting Warehouse

Jakem Steel Warehouse

Site Visit #4

After investigating what the cranes were doing at the Waurn Ponds shopping village, I came across the new extension into which Target is relocating along with approximately 17 new smaller independent stores. I was unable to speak with the site foreman, therefore not much else is known about the project. It looks to be a composite of a portal frame structure and also uses tilt up prefabricated concrete panels.

View from the car park

The damp proof membrane, trench mesh and deformed bars, between the concrete tilt up panels and a previously poured concrete slab.

Struts temporarily supporting the concrete panels

Bracing between purlins, safety mesh, UB rafters and columns.

An interesting conection between pre-fabricated concrete panels

Connection between panels and steel framing.

Close up of box gutter down-pipe connection.

Apex of roof, suspended cieling framework hanging from the z-purlins.

Timber stud frame wall attached to the concrete panels for inner skin. The building services are hung from the roof.