The architectural highlight is the "Enigma", a glazed atrium that drapes over the side of the boxy reinforced concrete building. The structural analysis of this unique steel-glass construction was carried out with RSTAB by Novum Structures, a customer of Dlubal Software.
Structure
The "Enigma" is a steel‑tube construction comprising more than 900 triangular glass panels. They form the protruding bulges. No two glass panels within the curving glass structures are identical so they provide a truly unique view of St. Petersburg’s picturesque waterfront.
The builders had to solve a mystery (Latin: Enigma) of how to shape, engineer, and hang the transparent structure. They achieved this with the fragile-looking glass structure, which is 23 m (75.5 ft) at its tallest, 32 m (105 ft) at its widest, and 8 m (27.5 ft) at its deepest. It should withstand hurricane-force winds and windborne debris.
HOK’s architect Weymouth calls the Novum system a visual diagram of the way the structure performs, because the triangles get tighter in places of the greatest stress.
In 2010, HOK received the Novum Design Excellence Award for its iconic design of the Salvador Dalí Museum.
| Location | 1 Dali Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, United States |
| Structural Engineering | Engineering & Subcontractor Novum Structures LLC Menomonee Falls, WI, USA www.novumstructures.com |
| Construction | General Contractor Beck Group Atlanta, GA, USA www.beckgroup.com |
| Architect | HOK Architects Tampa, FL, USA www.hok.com |
