{"product_id":"sculpture-on-a-grand-scale-jack-christiansens-thin-shell-modernism-9780295745619","title":"Sculpture on a Grand Scale: Jack Christiansens Thin Shell Modernism","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Kingdome  John (Jack) Christiansens best-known work  was the largest freestanding concrete dome in the world. Built amid public controversy  the multipurpose arena was designed to stand for a thousand years but was demolished in a great cloud of dust after less than a quarter century.  Many know the fate of Seattles iconic dome  but fewer are familiar with its innovative structural engineer  Jack Christensen (19272017)  and his significant contribution to Pacific Northwest and modernist architecture. Christiansen designed more than a hundred projects in the region: public schools and gymnasiums  sculptural church spaces  many of the Seattle Centers 1962 Worlds Fair buildings  and the Museum of Flights vast glass roof all reflect his expressive ideas. Inspired by Northwest topography and drawn to the regions mountains and profound natural landscapes  Christiansen employed hyperbolic paraboloid forms  barrel-vault structures  and efficient modular construction to echo and complement the forms he loved in nature. Notably  he became an enthusiastic proponent of using thin shell concretethe Kingdome being the most prominent exampleto create inexpensive  utilitarian space on a large scale.  Tyler Sprague places Christiansen within a global cohort of thin shell engineer-designers  exploring the use of a remarkable structural medium known for its minimal use of material  architectually expressive forms  and long-span capability. Examining Christiansens creative design and engineering work  Sprague  who interviewed Christiansen extensively  illuminates his legacy of graceful  distinctive concrete architectural forms  highlighting their lasting imprint on the regions built environment.  A Michael J. Repass Book\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45651516457013,"sku":"ByrdShop_0295745614","price":109.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780295745619.jpg?v=1781835344","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/sculpture-on-a-grand-scale-jack-christiansens-thin-shell-modernism-9780295745619","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}