High-tech architecture is a movement in which the load-bearing structure, the services and the technical components are not hidden but deliberately made visible and defining of the image. Pipes, trusses, lifts and stairs are often placed on the outside. Below are some famous examples.
Well-known buildings
- Centre Pompidou, Paris (Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, opened 1977) — the textbook case: pipes, escalators and the steel truss structure are entirely on the outside, painted in colour codes.
- Lloyd’s building, London (Richard Rogers, 1986) — with lifts, stair towers and service ducts on the façade so the interior stays flexible.
- HSBC headquarters, Hong Kong (Norman Foster, 1985) — a structure suspended from steel masts, keeping the ground floor open.
- Sainsbury Centre, Norwich (Norman Foster, 1978) — a large, column-free hall with services in the façade zone.
Recurring features
- Exposed structure — steel trusses, tie rods and joints as ornament
- Services on the outside — ventilation ducts, pipes and lifts on the façade
- Flexible, open plan — because core and services are moved to the edge
- Industrial materials — steel, glass and aluminium, often in bright colours
Application
The style emerged in the 1970s and 1980s and is used mainly for offices, museums and public buildings needing large, column-free spaces and flexibility.
Related terms
- High-tech
- Building style
- Structure
- Steel
- Curtain wall
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