SL Rasch GmbH Special and Lightweight Structures
SL Rasch GmbH Special and Lightweight Structures | |
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Practice information | |
Key architects |
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Founded | 1980 |
Work | |
Buildings |
Convertible Umbrellas and Sliding Domes for the Extension of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina clock and tower-top of the Makkah Clock Tower |
Awards | Best Innovation, “International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction”, Houston, Texas |
The SL-Rasch GmbH Special and Lightweight Structures based in Stuttgart, Germany specializes in special buildings and lightweight structures integrating architecture and engineering. The office was founded by Mahmoud Bodo Rasch.
SL-Rasch has executed projects for the Holy Cities Mekka and Medina, such as the Convertible Umbrellas and Sliding Domes for the Extension of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina[1] the Tent City in Mina and the tower top of the Makkah Clock Tower.
In 1980 Mahmoud Bodo Rasch founded the architecture firm Rasch and Associates and then, in 1991, the special and lightweight construction firm SL GmbH, which since 1998 has operated under the title of SL Rasch GmbH Special and Lighweight Structures.
An interdisciplinary team of professionals composed of architects, structural, mechanical and aeronautical engineers, physicists, philosophers and computer specialists, together with departments for Islamic design, 3D visualization, graphic design and model making works together under one umbrella.
SL Rasch pursues Frei Otto’s[2] principles of lightweight construction on the basis of scientific research and brings the minimalistic forms together in harmony with the ornamentation of sacred buildings.[3]
The firm works with a High Performance Computing Cluster[4] and develops specific software for different problem solutions.
Projects (Selected)
- 1981 Mountain tents for Muna Valley, Saudi Arabia. With Sami Angawi and Frei Otto
- 1985 Scientific studies “Climatic research for convertible roofs in Saudi Arabia“
- 1986 Scientific studies “Simulation and analysis of crowd movement during pilgrimage in the Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia”
- 1987 Prototypes for 5x5m solar-powered umbrellas
- 1987 Toldo for the Quba Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia
- 1988 Convertible roof for the open-air theater in Wiltz, Luxembourg
- 1990 Tent structures for “Thuwal Palace” beach residence on the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
- 1991 27 sliding domes for the courtyards of the Prophet´s Holy Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia
- 1992 12 large convertible umbrellas (17x18m) in the two large courts of the Prophet´s Holy Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia[5]
- 1992 Integrated lighting system for the Piazza of the Prophet´s Holy Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia
- 1994 Convertible umbrellas for the Castle of Wasseralfingen, Germany
- 1995 Domes for the Guekdepe Mosque, Turkmenistan,
- 1996 Venice Biennale, Starwave tent and 5x5m umbrellas, Venice, Italy
- 1996 “Jubilee ship”, pneumatic structure for the Academy of Arts, Berlin
- 1997 Tents for beach palace in Obhur, Saudi Arabia
- 1998 “Maqam Ibrahim“ shrine for the al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
- 1999 Convertible tent for the Robinson Club Fuerteventura, Spain
- 1999 Domes and lighting system for “Majid Wilayah Persekutuan”, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- 1999 Domes for Putra Mosque, Putrajaya, Malaysia
- 1999 Fireproof tents for the Muna Tent City, Saudi Arabia
- 2000 Round tents for a showroom in Leonberg, Germany
- 2000 Convertible umbrellas (16mx16m) in front of Al Hussein Mosque, Cairo, Egypt
- 2000 “Kaaba Stairs” movable stairs for the “Kaaba”, al-Haram Shareef Mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
- 2000 Venezuela Pavilion Expo 2000, Hannover
- 2001 Tanzbrunnen Cologne, renovation of the tent membrane
- 2001 “Sail Island” sail structures on the Red Sea, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- 2001 Stair-Climbing ATV
- 2002 Toldo, Villa d`Este, Rome, Italy
- 2002 Convertible umbrellas, Hotel d´Angleterre, Lausanne, Switzerland
- 2002 “Minbar”, movable minbar for al-Haram Shareef Mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
- 2004 Convertible roof for castle ruins, Scherenburg, Germany
- 2004 Khourais Road Retail Center, roof tent structure Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 2004 Umbrella for the “Stuttgarter Schlossplatz”, design with Frei Otto
- 2004 Vip-Travellounge
- 2005 Desert Ship 2, Wüstenfahrzeug
- 2007 Tent structures and lighting system, Royal Terminal, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- 2007 Convertible umbrellas, Sandy Lane Hotel, Barbados
- 2008 Convertible umbrellas (29x29m) Royal Terminal, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- 2009-2012 Tower tents on the Abraj Al Bait Towers, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
- 2011 250 convertible umbrellas (26x26m) for the Prophet´s Holy Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia[6]
- 2012 “ Royal Clock Tower”, clock and tower-top of the Abraj Al Bait Towers, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Awards
- 1992 Deutscher Werkbund Bayern (German Work Federation Bavaria)
- 1993 Best Innovation, “International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction”, Houston, Texas
- 1993 “Imam Bukhari Educational Complex”, Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 1st prize in international competition
External links
- SL Rasch GmbH Homepage
- The Makkah Clock Film
- Tensile Structures
- A Forest of Umbrellas Keeps Medina Pilgrims Cool
- Large scale umbrellas (250 units) completed, covering the pilgrims worldwide with membrane architecture
References
- ↑ Large scale umbrellas (250 units) completed covering the pilgrims worldwide with membrane architecture,
- ↑ Nerdinger, Winfried: Frei Otto. Das Gesamtwerk: Leicht Bauen Natürlich Gestalten, 2005, ISBN 3-7643-7233-8
- ↑ Frei Otto, Bodo Rasch: Finding Form: Towards an Architecture of the Minimal, 1996, ISBN 3930698668
- ↑ High-Tech-Sonnenschutz in der Wüste SL Rasch setzt auf SGI LÖsungen
- ↑ ISLAM: Allahs Schattenmann, Der Spiegel, 15/2002
- ↑ Prophet's Mosque Courtyard Treatment