Title:
A White Monolith
Author(s):
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
32
Issue:
8
Appears on pages(s):
29-32
Keywords:
architectural concrete, lightweight concrete, monolithic construction, surface treatment
DOI:
Date:
8/1/2010
Abstract:
The three-story white concrete monolith of the Swiss National Park Visitor Center in Zernez, Switzerland, rests on a plinth. At each story, the façades are slightly offset to create wall projections. To help prevent crack formation, the building corners were erected first, followed by the middle pieces with the window cut-outs. The center was built exclusively with cast-in-place concrete. The composition of the lightweight concrete was initially refined in laboratory experiments and subsequently used for a series of mock-ups. An environmentally safe, anti-graffiti coating protects the building’s exterior surfaces.