Pitt Street Mall Catenary Lighting System

The City of Sydney turned to Ronstan to upgrade Pitt Street Mall's lighting to an energy-efficient catenary system as part of the overall redevelopment at the precinct. The result is a ladder-like series of lights supported by a Ronstan high-tension stainless steel cable framework.

The system illuminates the pedestrian areas below and the facades of the buildings, without needing large self-standing poles or heavy-looking supports. The 16m high tensile cable web is almost invisible, with bowstring support cables anchored every 20 meters into the facades of the buildings along the mall.

The catenary lights themselves comprise long tubes, combining downward illumination and a sequence of LEDs along the vertical length, which can be programmed for different colors depending on seasonal requirements – reflecting specific moods and occasions.

Project Entered in the LSAA 2009 Design Awards (42087)

Entrant: Aurecon - Sydney – Designer

Location: 405 Crown Street - Surry Hills NSW 2010    Client: Austress Freyssinet
Architect: FJMT   Struct. Eng.: Aurecon - Facade Engineer  
Concept Design: Taylor Thomson Whitting  Builder: Austress Freyssinet / Probuild

Application: Library and neighbourhood centre with structural glass bio-filter atrium.

Project: SG4 500m2 Big Dish Solar Concentrator

Entrant: Solar Thermal Group - Designer / Fabricator

Location: Garran Road - Acton Canberra ACT
Client: ANU / Wizard Power
Struct. Eng.: ANU Solar Thermal Group
Fabricator: ANU Solar Thermal Group & Austec Engineering

This project was entered in the LSAA 2009 Design Awards: Entry: 4433 Category 4

Cable Net Facade Feature - New Entrance

The redevelopment of Whitten Oval formed a pivotal piece in a plan to reinvigorate the western suburbs of Melbourne by providing services and facilities that would promote a sense of community. The plan had involvement from both State and Federal Governments and sort to place Whitten Oval at the centre of the community as a hub for local sporting and health service activities.

The Whitten Stand conversion, designed by Peddle Thorp Architects in Melbourne, called for a feature on the façade that responded to its context, was an identifiable entry, and provided an environmental benefit in the form of shading for the glazed façade behind. The resulting design was a series of floating panels that would display the team colours of the grounds home AFL team, the Western Bulldogs. The façade feature would run from the first floor to the roof acting as a gateway for supporters.

This project was an entry in the 2016 LSAA Design Awards (0481)

Entrant: Tensys Engineers Pty Ltd (Engineer)

Location: 155 Queen St Mall, Brisbane.   Completed: 2015  Client: ISPT Super Property

Team: studio 505 / JWA, Tensys Engineers, Tensys (Façade), UAP Company, Broad Construction

Application

The implementation of form and function. Creation of shade function with a sculptural form

Other Structural Forms - Cablenets, Glazing, Facades, Spaceframes

The LSAA has groups of members interested in cablenets, high technology glazing and facades.

In fact one main reason for the creation of the LSAA  from the MSAA was to cater for the growing number of projects which involved large glazed areas being supported by pretensioned cable truss systems or cablenets.

In modern times, when the overall energy usage for the life of a building is taken into account, the use of high technology facades will become more important. There is also a growing use of "green facades" or vertical gardens.

The traditional spaceframe structures are becoming rarer - those with many small elements that are man-handled and connected together on site. Labour costs and erection times are now outweighed by fewer larger assemblies that can be installed quickly by cranes.

The LSAA would welcome articles and links to projects in this category.