The lobby façace of Iberdrola Tower

Abstract

The Iberdrola Tower in Bilbao, with its 165 m height, is planned to be finished during 2011. The building, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli architects, will have the shape of a triangular prism with curved sides. The lobby façade will be entirely enclosed by a sculptural glass wall forming a softly rounded triangle in plan and supported by vertical glass fins. The design, simulation and testing of the glazed fins of the lobby façade will be discussed in the paper. Two different structural solutions for these elements will be compared, a plate girder and a lattice girder. The variable surface curvature of the façade will be achieved by means of cold-bend insulating glass units.