What’s the structure behind Papazian?

May 8, 2007

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.

If you frequent the space between Papazian and Pierson, you may have noticed a small concrete structure that looks a bit like the crossing in a church. The structure was built by Jessica Mandrick ’07 for her senior engineering design project.

Mandrick wrote in an e-mail, “it’s a thin shell concrete hyperbolic paraboloid based off of the work of Mexican engineer Felix Candela. It demonstrates the use of a limited amount of material to create structures which on larger scales can be used as buildings, lobbies, or roofs.” She explained that while the structure “was cast with concrete on a constructed formwork in one six hour session, the formwork itself took much longer to create.”

Sample advertisement

This reporter thought the structure was an igloo when she first stumbled across it because it had a white tarp draped over it, and Mandrick explains that “it’s currently kept damp and under tarps in order to keep the humidity high so that the concrete can cure and gain strength. The shell still requires some work on the underside of it, which will eventually have the smooth finish of its top.”

Whether your questions are abstract or concrete, you can ask the Gazette at dailygazette@swarthmore.edu.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous Story

Picture of the Day 4/7/07

Next Story

Picture of the Day 5/8/07

Latest from Sports

Swinging Through the Glass Ceiling 

The Swarthmore men’s golf team has welcomed numerous women as walk-on players over the years. Currently there are two female players competing on the men’s team: Ava Chon ’26 and Bori Chung ’28. Chon is a senior from Princeton, NJ, who went

Athlete of the Week: Melissa Eyer ’28

Melissa Eyer '28 runs the volleyball court with her elite ball control and defensive capabilities. Read on to hear more about her fourth Centennial Athlete of the Week selection!

Garnet Soccer Takes on Johns Hopkins in Baltimore

On Sept. 20, Swarthmore men’s and women’s soccer packed their bags and boarded buses for Baltimore to play their long-time conference rival Johns Hopkins University. The day began Centennial Conference play for both Garnet teams. The men came into their game carrying

The Best Quotes of Jalen Hurts

We live in a current age of heat checks, lyric drops, motivational apps and posters, and speeches about “locking in” or “walking through fire.” And then there is Jalen Hurts — the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, an outright contemporary Nietzsche,
Previous Story

Picture of the Day 4/7/07

Next Story

Picture of the Day 5/8/07

The Phoenix

Don't Miss