Diagrid Explained

A diagrid (a portmanteau of diagonal grid) is a framework of diagonally intersecting metal, concrete, or wooden beams that is used in the construction of buildings and roofs.^[1] It requires less structural steel than a conventional steel frame. Hearst Tower in New York City, designed by Norman Foster, uses 21 percent less steel than a standard design.^[2] The diagrid obviates the need for columns and can be used to make large column-free expanses of roofing.^[3] Another iconic building designed by Foster, 30 St Mary Axe, in London, UK, known as "The Gherkin", also uses the diagrid system.

British architect Ian Ritchie wrote in 2012:

Buildings utilizing diagrid

• Shukhov Tower in Polibino, Polibino, Russia (1896)
• Shukhov Rotunda at the All-Russia exhibition, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (1896)
• Shukhov Tower, Moscow, Russia
• Hearst Tower, New York, USA
• 30 St Mary Axe, London, England
• 1 The Avenue, Manchester, England
• CCTV Headquarters, Beijing, China
• The Bow, Calgary, Canada
• Seattle Central Library, Seattle, USA
• Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• Aldar headquarters, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• Guangzhou International Finance Center, Guangzhou, China
• Queen Elizabeth II Great Court at the British Museum, London, England
• Nagoya Dome, Nagoya, Japan
• Westhafen Tower, Frankfurt, Germany
• Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• MyZeil, Frankfurt, Germany
• The Crystal, Copenhagen, Denmark
• United Steelworkers Building, Pittsburgh, USA
• Tornado Tower, Doha, Qatar
• Newfoundland Quay, London, England
• Lotte World Tower, Seoul, Republic of Korea
• Atrio Towers, Bogotá, Colombia
• King's Cross Station, London, England

Bibliography

• Design and construction of steel diagrid structures by K. Moon, School of Architecture, Yale University
• The diagrid system of Hearst Tower by the Steel Institute of New York

Notes and References

1. Ian Volner. Dissecting Diagrid. Architect. 5 October 2011. American Institute of Architects. https://web.archive.org/web/20111119015948/http://www.architectmagazine.com/structure/dissecting-diagrid.aspx. 19 November 2011. dead.
2. News: Hearst Tower Echoes Trade Center Plan. David W. Dunlap. 7 October 2004. The New York Times. 1 December 2015.
3. Book: Terri Meyer Boake. Diagrid Structures: Systems, Connections, Details. 23 January 2014. Birkhäuser. 978-3-03821-482-3. 13–.