A diagrid (a portmanteau of diagonal grid) is a framework of diagonally intersecting metal, concrete, or wooden beamss that is used in the construction of buildings and roofs. It requires less structural steel than a conventional steel frame. Hearst Tower in New York City, designed by Norman Foster, uses 21 percent less steel than a standard design. The diagrid obviates the need for columns and can be used to make large column-free expanses of roofing. Another iconic building designed by Foster, 30 St Mary Axe, in London, UK, known as "The Gherkin", also uses the diagrid system.

British architect Ian Ritchie wrote in 2012:

Buildings utilizing diagrid

• Shukhov Tower in Polibino, Polibino, Russia (1896)

• Shukhov Rotunda at the All-Russia exhibition, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (1896)

• Shukhov Tower, Moscow, Russia

• Hearst Tower, New York, USA

• 53W53, New York, USA

• 30 St Mary Axe, London, England

• 1 The Avenue, Manchester, England

• CCTV Headquarters, Beijing, China

• The Bow, Calgary, Canada

• Seattle Central Library, Seattle, USA

• Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

• Aldar headquarters, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

• Guangzhou International Finance Center, Guangzhou, China

• Queen Elizabeth II Great Court at the British Museum, London, England

• Nagoya Dome, Nagoya, Japan

• Westhafen Tower, Frankfurt, Germany

• Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

• MyZeil, Frankfurt, Germany

• The Crystal, Copenhagen, Denmark

• United Steelworkers Building, Pittsburgh, USA

• Tornado Tower, Doha, Qatar

• Newfoundland Quay, London, England

• Lotte World Tower, Seoul, Republic of Korea

• Atrio Towers, Bogotá, Colombia

• King's Cross Station, London, England

• Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong

See also

References

Bibliography

• Design and construction of steel diagrid structures by K. Moon, School of Architecture, Yale University

• The diagrid system of Hearst Tower by the Steel Institute of New York