SL Rasch GmbH Special and Lightweight Structures

SL Rasch GmbH Special and Lightweight Structures
Practice information
Key architects
Founded 1980
Significant works and honors
Buildings Convertible Umbrellas and Sliding Domes for the Extension of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina
clock and tower-top of the Makkah Clock Tower
Awards Best Innovation, "International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction", Houston, Texas

The SL-Rasch GmbH Special and Lightweight Structures, based in Stuttgart, Germany, specializes in special buildings and lightweight structures integrating architecture and engineering. The company was founded by Mahmoud Bodo Rasch.

SL-Rasch has executed projects for the holy cities Mekka and Medina, such as the Convertible Umbrellas and Sliding Domes for the Extension of the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina[1] the Tent City in Mina, and the tower top of the Makkah Clock Tower.

In 1980 Mahmoud Bodo Rasch founded the architecture firm Rasch and Associates and then, in 1991, the special and lightweight construction firm SL GmbH, which since 1998 has operated under the title of SL Rasch GmbH Special and Lighweight Structures.

An interdisciplinary team of professionals composed of architects, structural, mechanical and aeronautical engineers, physicists, philosophers and computer specialists, together with departments for Islamic design, 3D visualization, graphic design and model making works together under one umbrella.

SL Rasch pursues Frei Otto’s[2] principles of lightweight construction on the basis of scientific research and brings the minimalistic forms together in harmony with the ornamentation of sacred buildings.[3]

The firm works with a High Performance Computing Cluster[4] and develops specific software for different problem solutions.

Projects (selected)

  • 1981: Mountain tents for Muna Valley, Saudi Arabia. With Sami Angawi and Frei Otto
  • 1985: Scientific studies "Climatic research for convertible roofs in Saudi Arabia"
  • 1986: Scientific studies "Simulation and analysis of crowd movement during pilgrimage in the Holy Mosques in Saudi Arabia"
  • 1987: Prototypes for 5×5m solar-powered umbrellas
  • 1987: Toldo for the Quba Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia
  • 1988: Convertible roof for the open-air theater in Wiltz, Luxembourg
  • 1990: Tent structures for "Thuwal Palace" beach residence on the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
  • 1991: 27 sliding domes for the courtyards of the Prophet´s Holy Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia
  • 1992: 12 large convertible umbrellas (17×18m) in the two large courts of the Prophet´s Holy Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia[5]
  • 1992: Integrated lighting system for the Piazza of the Prophet´s Holy Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia
  • 1994: Convertible umbrellas for the Castle of Wasseralfingen, Germany
  • 1995: Domes for the Guekdepe Mosque, Turkmenistan,
  • 1996: Venice Biennale, Starwave tent and 5×5m umbrellas, Venice, Italy
  • 1996: "Jubilee ship", pneumatic structure for the Academy of Arts, Berlin
  • 1997: Tents for beach palace in Obhur, Saudi Arabia
  • 1998: "Maqam Ibrahim" shrine for the al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia
  • 1999: Convertible tent for the Robinson Club Fuerteventura, Spain
  • 1999: Domes and lighting system for "Majid Wilayah Persekutuan", Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 1999: Domes for Putra Mosque, Putrajaya, Malaysia
  • 1999: Fireproof tents for the Muna Tent City, Saudi Arabia
  • 2000: Round tents for a showroom in Leonberg, Germany
  • 2000: Convertible umbrellas (16m×16m) in front of Al Hussein Mosque, Cairo, Egypt
  • 2000: "Kaaba Stairs" movable stairs for the "Kaaba", al-Haram Shareef Mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
  • 2000: Venezuela Pavilion Expo 2000, Hannover
  • 2001: Tanzbrunnen Cologne, renovation of the tent membrane
  • 2001: "Sail Island" sail structures on the Red Sea, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • 2001: Stair-climbing ATV
  • 2002: Toldo, Villa d'Este, Rome, Italy
  • 2002: Convertible umbrellas, Hotel d´Angleterre, Lausanne, Switzerland
  • 2002: "Minbar", movable minbar for al-Haram Shareef Mosque, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
  • 2004: Convertible roof for castle ruins, Scherenburg, Germany
  • 2004: Khourais Road Retail Center, roof tent structure Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 2004: Umbrella for the "Stuttgarter Schlossplatz", design with Frei Otto
  • 2004: Vip-Travellounge
  • 2005: Desert Ship 2, Wüstenfahrzeug
  • 2007: Tent structures and lighting system, Royal Terminal, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
  • 2007: Convertible umbrellas, Sandy Lane Hotel, Barbados
  • 2008: Convertible umbrellas (29×29m) Royal Terminal, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • 2009–2012 Tower tents on the Abraj Al Bait Towers, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
  • 2011: 250 convertible umbrellas (26×26m) for the Prophet´s Holy Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia[6]
  • 2012: "Royal Clock Tower", clock and tower-top of the Abraj Al Bait Towers, Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Awards

  • 1992: Deutscher Werkbund Bayern (German Work Federation Bavaria)
  • 1993: Best Innovation, "International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction", Houston, Texas
  • 1993: "Imam Bukhari Educational Complex", Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 1st prize in international competition

References

  1. ↑ Large scale umbrellas (250 units) completed covering the pilgrims worldwide with membrane architecture
  2. ↑ Nerdinger, Winfried: Frei Otto. Das Gesamtwerk: Leicht Bauen Natürlich Gestalten, 2005, ISBN 3-7643-7233-8
  3. ↑ Frei Otto, Bodo Rasch: Finding Form: Towards an Architecture of the Minimal, 1996, ISBN 3930698668
  4. ↑ High-Tech-Sonnenschutz in der Wüste SL Rasch setzt auf SGI LÖsungen
  5. ↑ ISLAM: Allahs Schattenmann, Der Spiegel, 15/2002
  6. ↑ Prophet's Mosque Courtyard Treatment Archived 2013-10-17 at the Wayback Machine.
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