Steel and beyond

New conceptual strategies for structures, hybrid materials and constructions, computer-aided design and fabrication, and the adaptation of techniques from aeroplane design and ship building: these new technical developments are radically changing the use of metals in building. Yesterday's standards and processes are rapidly becoming out-dated, and it is high time that the most recent advances are documented in a systematic overview. Case studies examine significant buildings which illustrate ground-breaking concepts. These include Frank O. Gehry's Guggenheim Museum at Bilbao and the Experience Music project in Seattle, the Millennium Bridge by Norman Foster, Sendai Mediatheque by Toyo Ito, the Seattle Library by Rem Koolhaas. Each project is comprehensively documented in image and text, paying particular attention to the application and processing of metal and steel. Annette LeCuyer is a Professor of Architecture at the University of Buffalo, The State University of New York.