Co-Taught: Christopher Romano + Micheal Hoover

Group Design Lead: Randy Fernando

Designed as a large, open exhibition space, Palazzo del Lavoro, or The Palace of Labour, consists of sixteen independent columns, called “umbrellas”, which support the entire building. The columns feature a varying cross section, with branching radial beams stretching to the roof from the top of the column.

The proposed column design takes inspiration from the precedent. Featuring a varying cross section, starting from an octagon shape and into a cruciform. This adds additional facets to the column, increasing its strength. The column also introduces branching, similar to the ideas of the precedent with its branching umbrellas. The goal of this feature is to create a more spatial experience for people interacting with the column. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to test the relationship between the compression of the column, with the tension of the branches.

Multi-media formwork allowed for more complex geometries to be used in the design. This however, also led to additional challenges in the fabrication process. The biggest problem was the tolerances of each of the fabrication processes to come together.