Research post 2
In my next research, I looked at examples of buildings that have the shape of a pyramid. I looked at the details of the structure and it helped me to understand the advantages of such a shape and how such a building could be built.
- The first example is the building of the Slovak radio in Bratislava. It was designed by three architects: Stefan Svetko, Stefan Durkovic and Barnabas Kissling. The building was built in 1983 and its height is 80 metres. The building has two pyramids. One is inside where the studios are located and the other is outside, where the rest of the spaces are located. The base of this building is a steel frame. To this frame were added vertical columns and diagonal cables. Foundation was designed very strong. Since the top of the pyramid is large and heavy compared to the bottom, columns and cables are added to the frame to transfer the load from top to bottom where a very strong foundation that can take this load and hold it. This means that the main element of the building is the foundation that holds everything, and the columns and cables are additional elements that help to correctly distribute the load and transfer it to the foundation.
- The next example is the botanical complex in Edmonton, Albert, Canada. Architect is Peter Hemingway and he designed this building in the 1970s. This complex has four pyramids of different sizes, which have different climatic environments: a dry climate zone, a temperate climate zone and a humid tropical climate zone. Seasonal exhibitions are held in the fourth pyramid. The pyramids are separate from each other because they have different microclimates, but these pyramids are connected by underground ways that are visible in the second photo. The main element of the building is a steel frame and it is covered with glazing. Since an upright pyramid is a stable shape, there are no additional diagonal cables and vertical columns compared to pyramid in the previous example. But the sense of the construction is similar. The steel frame transfers load from top to bottom and the foundation holds it. The foundation in this building is concrete. The shape of the pyramid and the steel frame with a concrete foundation create a strong building with a good balance. I also plan to look in more detail how plants are used and a microclimate is created in this project in my next research post where I will look at examples with the natural environment inside.
- The following example is a museum that has the shape of an inverted pyramid. It was build in 2010 and located in Hanoi, Vietnam. The authors are gmp Architects. This shape was chosen as an energy efficiency concept where the upper floors create a shade from the sun for the lower floors with exhibits (Bredt, 2012). The museum has a square shape in plan, three floors of the building with exhibits are connected by a central round atrium. Offices are located on the fourth floor. The building also has four central cores at the corners. The thick walls of the spiral atrium and four cores create a strong structural system (frame), and these elements carry the load from the heavy floors at the top of the building to the foundation, which is also strong (e-architect, 2010). Floors of different weights are attached to the central strong frame system and this helps a building with this shape not to fall.
- The next example is the Louvre pyramid. Architect I. M. Pei. The building was built in 1989 in Paris. The pyramid is the main entrance to the museum and it takes visitors to the underground lobby. The building is covered with glass (603 diamond-shaped glass segments and 70 triangular). The glass lets light through and illuminates the underground lobby well, from where visitors can get to different parts of the museum. The structure of the building is a metal frame that holds the glass and transfers the load to the foundation. This frame includes elements of steel and aluminum. (Giuroiu, 2026) Since the shape of the building is stable, the main purpose of the frame is to hold the glass and transfer its weight to the foundation.
From these examples, I realised that pyramid is often used as a shape for public buildings, such as museums or pavilions with plants. The pyramid shape can give different functions, such as creating a shadow for the lower floors (inverted pyramid) or giving maximum light for plants (upright pyramid). The pyramid has a very stable shape, so a metal frame without additional frame elements is very often used. Also very often the pyramid is covered with glazing and this gives maximum light to the building. The pyramid-shaped building should be large enough to use the space in the corners.
There are also many examples of buildings in the shape of an inverted pyramid. It also often used a metal frame and since this shape is not stable, a strong structure is added in the centre that holds the large top of the pyramid and transfers the load to the foundation.
Image References
1. ziggurat (2015) ‘Slovak radio Building’, Architectuul. [online image] Available at: https://architectuul.com/architecture/slovak-radio-buildin (Accessed: 28 February 2026).
2. Register-architektury (n. d.) ‘Slovak radio Building’. [online image] Available at: https://register-architektury.sk/storage/images/1545/responsive-images/684___media_library_original_908_434.jpg (Accessed: 28 February 2026).
3. Emily Mertz (2018) ‘Inside Edmonton’s Muttart Conservatory’, Global News. [online image] Available at: https://globalnews.ca/news/4154106/muttart-conservatory-edmonton-renovation/ (Accessed: 28 February 2026).
4. Campus Tower Suite Hotel (n. d.) ‘Muttart Conservatory’. [online image] Available at: https://www.campustower.com/local-experiences/muttart-conservatory (Accessed: 28 February 2026).
5. Bredt, M. (2012) ‘Hanoi Museum/gmp Architekten’, ArchDaily. [online image] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/251694/hanoi-museum-gmp-architekten/5018bddd28ba0d5d5d0006f9-hanoi-museum-gmp-architekten-image (Accessed: 07 March 2026).
6. gmp Architects (2010) ‘Hanoi Museum/gmp Architekten’, ArchDaily. [section] Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/251694/hanoi-museum-gmp-architekten/5018be0e28ba0d5d5d000701-hanoi-museum-gmp-architekten-image (Accessed: 07 March 2026).
7. Britannica (n. d.) ‘Louvre’. [online image] Available at: https://cdn.britannica.com/02/121002-050-92DB902F/Louvre-Museum-pyramid-Paris-Pei-IM.jpg (Accessed: 7 March 2026).
8. Storied Traveling (n. d.) ‘Night at the Museum: a Look Through the Louvre’ [online image] Available at: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fe0b144d610986319793717/d29324b5-d8cb-4c94-87fa-354f4026fc46/IMG_5651etd_ST.jpg (Accessed: 7 March 2026).
Text References
1. Kamnavylet (2026) ‘Slovak Radio Building’. Available at: https://www.kamnavylet.sk/en/attraction/slovak-radio-building (Accessed: 28 February 2026).
2. inca_unul (2024) ‘Slovak Radio Building, Bratislava, Slovakia’ Reddit. Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/StructuralEngineering/comments/18vyqij/slovak_radio_building_bratislava_slovakia_eng/ (Accessed: 28 February 2026).
3. Cloverdale Community League (2026) ‘The Muttart Conservatory’ . Available at: https://cloverdalecommunity.com/the-muttart-conservatory/ (Accessed: 28 February 2026).
4. Edmonton (n. d.) ‘Muttart Conservatory’. Available at: https://www.edmonton.ca/attractions_events/muttart-conservatory (Accessed: 28 February 2026).
5. Bredt, M. (2012) ‘Hanoi Museum/gmp Architekten’, ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/251694/hanoi-museum-gmp-architekten (Accessed: 07 March 2026)
6. E-architects (2010) ‘Hanoi Museum Vietnam: Architecture’. Available at: https://www.e-architect.com/vietnam/hanoi-museum (Accessed: 7 March 2026).
7. Giuroiu, A. (2024) ‘The Louvre Pyramid/ I. M. Pie| Classics on Architecture Lab’ ArchitectureLab. Available at: https://www.architecturelab.net/louvre-pyramid-im.pei (Accessed: 7 March 2026)
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