Structural design for a spectacular feature dome and plaza roof crowning the complex of a high-end scheme that showcases the congruence of design and décor.

2017-18 International Asia-Pacific Property Awards – Five Star Award ‘Best Mixed Use Architecture in India’

Athena is an ambitious mixed-use destination and includes high-end retail, food courts, leisure options, commercial office space, generous car parking facilities and two vibrant plazas offering further entertainment. With a leasable area of 1.3 million square feet, it is built to suit both the aesthetic and functional aspect of a premium business destination. Eckersley O’Callaghan have been appointed to provide structural design for various special structures in this mall including the feature dome and the plaza roof which crowns the complex.

The 55m diameter dome has a rise of 6m and is situated at the entrance of the building. Box beams have been used for the ring beam, radials and the oculus. A stiff ring beam is moment connected to each of the existing 13 steel CHS columns to provide a solid base for the dome structure and to synchronize the behaviour of columns under earthquake loads.

The 50×84 m plaza roof required a height restriction of 30m and we were challenged with constraints from depth of trusses due to local headroom issues. A typical linear structure was not an option and our structural engineers developed an aesthetically appealing and structurally efficient design in which the roof trusses cross each other at midspan. Crossing over of long span trusses improves their lateral stability behaviour. Special attention has been paid to the detail design of the critical centre junction where the trusses cross each other.

A major challenge in this project is the aesthetic and structural integration of various roofing scopes at their interfaces. Our team developed 3D models in Rhinoceros and AutoCAD during the concept and design development stages of the project for full clarity on interface issues and provide creative inputs relating to roof form and connections. Light weight polycarbonate sheets have been used for cladding all the roof steelwork as they are relatively robust for Gurugram’s searing climate and cost-effective enough to the meet the client’s budget.

Location
Gurugram, India

Client
Bestech Group

Architect
Chapman Taylor