Merano

Mark designed this elegant and impressive tower while working at Ramboll. Created in collaboration with the world-renowned architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and St James Developments, this was the team’s second exploration of external bracing, following the success of nearby development, Riverlight.

The tower’s narrow footprint and tall aspect ratio necessitated the use of a perimeter bracing system. Strategic placement of core walls allowed the bracing to be confined to just two sides of the building, preserving unobstructed views of the river on the front elevation.

The bracing system itself comprised a combination of heavy, in-compression vertical and diagonal elements and lightweight, tension-only steelwork diagonals. These steel elements were preloaded during construction to eliminate the need for excessive jacking. Shrinkage allowances were carefully built into the bracing design, and strategic releases were incorporated to ensure that gravity loads travelled directly downward, while lateral loads were resisted by the bracing alone.

This approach enabled the bracing to be refined into a more elegant geometry— balanced in proportion and efficient in material use, with form directly driven by function.

Image credit: BDP Pattern