Retail pavilion, with deep basement, large freestanding walls and a lightweight roof supported on very thin columns.

Eckersley O’Callaghan provided structural and facade engineering services in what is one of a series of pavilion styled retail stores for Apple.

A 10-metre-deep excavation was required to facilitate construction of the basement. This was retained in the temporary condition using a continuous flight auger secant piled wall, a concrete capping beam and ground anchors. A basement box with concrete walls and raft slab was then built within this to retain the ground in the permanent case.

A challenge was presented by the lack of restraint of the tall rear stone-clad wall separated from the main building by a rear staircase and large skylight.

This was resolved through buckling analysis and modelling of the restraint available by tying the staircase to the main structure, at a continuously changing level

For the pavilion roof, lightweight steel trusses are supported on spindle-thin columns in the front elevation, behind frameless glass units which span from floor to roof. These panels are held in continuous stainless steel shoes at the base and head.

Lateral stability is provided by concrete shear walls towards the rear and a braced roof plane, anchored to these walls, restrains the top of the glazing without relying on the in-plane stiffness of the glass.

Location
Aix-en-Provence

Client
Apple

Architect
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson | CallisonRTKL