Structural Systems in Architecture

The Author believes that it is very important to determine the time and place when a certain architectural idea occurred, that is, the architectural project with disposition of its horizontal and vertical plan, dimensions, construction and materialization. Nothing in architecture is copied anymore, and recognizing an original is the first prerequisite for assessing a certain architectural realization. Besides the basic needs that make him a part of the living world on Earth (food, reproduction, relaxation), man (the only being among all other living beings) has more or less expressed needs to be rich, powerful and immortal. Even though man often uses religion to undermine or justify these needs, they, that is, the architecture as a mean of expression, marked his entire history. It is interesting to notice that a pyramidal shape was usually used to express the human superiority in every civilization all around the world, whereas only a dome (a segment of a sphere) competed with pyramids. While studying architecture, the Author noticed certain differences in the approach to architecture among his professors and colleagues – students. On one side, there were those who always obeyed the already established schemes and standards, whereas on the other hand, there were those who were emphasizing the artistic component of architecture. The first aforementioned group did not allow students to express their creative ideas, and they in certain way made the students unwilling to observe the architecture in a complex way, whereas the other group was creating a wrong picture of architecture, saying that the ideas were given by god to man, who is made to come up with the ideas, whereas there would be someone else who would eventually realize them. The Author of this book did not pertain to any of the aforementioned groups, since he thought that both those extremes should be united in architecture in a simultaneous and complex way. While studying architecture, he admired the work of several architects and engineers, whose approach to architecture impressed him very much: Antonio Gaudi, L. Mies van der Rohe, R. Buckminster Fuller, Otto Frei, Pier Luigi Nervi, Eero Saariner, Kenzo Tange, Minoru Yamasaki, Oscar Niemeyer, Felix Candela, F. Lloyd Wright... The Author noticed that in the work of the aforementioned architects the structural system is often more or less emphasized – it becomes architecture! Simplicity and possibility to read the architectural forms, uniqueness of form and function, transposition of construction in architecture will become the principles that the Author would use to construct his own approach to architecture. Since this book is primarily meant for students of architecture, the author intentionally used his personal experience so as to encourage students to search for their own paths in architecture. If students realize that space reaches only the boundaries of their imagination, and that every problem has a solution, and that the nature and humans are the most important values, then writing this book will have achieved its purpose.