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General information

  • Location address
    Chiba
  • Location country
    Japan
  • Year of construction
    2001
  • Short description of the replacement or dismantling
    White Rhino, a building covered with membrane roofs supported by two tensegrity skeletons, has been constructed at Chiba in Japan in June, 2001. The building is constructed in the University of Tokyo’s experimental centre and houses different laboratories of the university. The name, White Rhino, comes from the exterior appearance of the roofs, the white colour and two “horns”, where the membrane roofs are pushed up from
    inside by two isolated posts supported by
    tensegrity skeletons. These isolated struts absorb large deformation of membrane roof and transmits the force from membrane roof to the tensegrity frame. One of the two tensegrity frames is about ten meters high while the other is seven meters high.
  • Function of building
    Laboratories & research centres
  • Degree of enclosure
    Fully enclosed structure
  • Climatic zone
    Temperate - cold winters and mild summers
  • Number of layers
    mono-layer
  • Type of application of the membrane
    covering
  • Primary function of the tensile structure
    • Daylight gains
    • Rain protection
    • Space defining elements
    • Sun protection
    • Wind protection

Description

Description of the environmental conditions

General comments, links

Material of the cover

  • Cable-net/Fabric/Hybrid/Foil
    Fabric

Main dimensions and form

  • Form single element
    Anticlastic

Duration of use

  • Temporary or permanent structure
    Permanent
  • Design lifespan in years
    31-..

Involved companies

Editor