SHELL STRUCTURES

LOTUS TEMPLE

ALANKAR VICHARE SEMESTER 9

Built : November 1986
Location : Kalkaji, Delhi
Designed by : Ar. Fariburz Sahba
Geometry : a half open lotus flower, afloat, surrounded by its leaves.
The lotus has three sets of leaves or petals, all of which are made out of thin concrete shells. The
outermost set of nine petals, called the 'entrance leaves', open outwards and form the nine
entrances all around the outer annular hall.
The next set of nine petals, called the 'outer leaves', point inwards. The entrance and outer
leaves together cover the outer hall. The third set of nine petals, called the 'inner leaves‘, appear
to be partly closed.
The lotus is open at the top, a glass and steel roof at the level of the radial beams provides
protection from rain and facilitates the entry of natural light into the auditorium
Near the top where the leaves separate out, nine radial beams provide the necessary lateral
support.
 GEOMETRY: LOTUS TEMPLE
ENTRANCE LEAVES AND
OUTER LEAVES
• The Entrance and Outer
Leaves are formed out of
Sphere of different radii,
with their centres located at
different points inside the
building.
• The diameters of the spheres
have been fixed to satisfy the
structural consideration of
varying shell thickness.
• The outer leaves, the shell is
uniformly 133 mm thick
towards the bottom, and
increases to 255 mm up to
the tip, beyond the glazing
THE ARCH. line.
All around the central hall are nine splendid • The entrance leaf is 18.2m
arches placed at angular intervals of 40 wide at the entrance and
degrees. rises 7.8m above the
The shape of these arches is formed by a podium level. The outer leaf
number of plane, conical and cylindrical is 15.4m wide and rises up
surfaces. The nine arches bear almost the entire to 22.5m above the podium.
load of the superstructure.
 SEQUENCE OF CONSTRUCTION: LOTUS TEMPLE

The basement and the inner podium were

constructed first. Thereafter, for casting the
arches and shells, the structure was divided
into convenient parts, taking into
consideration that when de-shuttered, the
portion of the shells cast would be self-
supporting until the remaining shells were
completed. The structure was divided as
follows:
ARCH
All 9 arches were cast one after the other in
two lifts until the circle was completed. The
Inner leaf, radial beams and central hub. de-shuttering of the soffit of each arch was
• After the completion of all the arches, the taken up after the adjacent arches had
structural steel staging for the inner leaf attained specified strength.
was erected. Three shells, 120 deg. apart,
were taken up at a time and cast in two
lifts, up to the radial beam level, ensuring
always that the difference in height
between the shells cast was not more than
one lift .
• The process was repeated until all 9
segments were cast. Casting of the central
hub was done independently, and after all
the shells were cast, they were connected to
the hub by casting the radial beams.
• After sufficient curing, the inner leaf along
with the radial beams were de-wedged,
leaving the central hub supported. The
remaining portion of the inner leaf was then
taken up . Entrance and outer leaves.
Interior dome • The construction of the entrance and outer
• After de-wedging of inner leaf, the steel leaves was done parallel with the casting of
staging was modified and two folds of the inner leaves and interior dome. Two
shells of the interior dome taken up one entrance leaves and one intermediate outer
after another. For each fold, three shells, leaf were done First.
120 deg. apart, were taken up at a time and • Thereafter, the outer and entrance leaves
cast one after another. were cast alternately, the outer leaf first and
• For each shell the boundary ribs were taken then the adjacent entrance leaves. De
up first and then the shell cast in one single shuttering was started with a pair of outer
lift. The process was repeated until all the leaves and followed by the intermediate
shells were complete entrance leaf.
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS
 ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF STRUCTURAL
COMPONENTS
• Spherical surfaces for the Entrance & Outer leaves
• Arch soffits have a Parabolic cone shape
• Spheres, cylinders, toroids & cones for Inner leaves
• Nine intersecting spheres form interior dome
• Final geometrically converted shapes were so complex that it took the designers
over two & a half years to complete the detailed drawings of the temple.
• In -situ Reinforced Concrete construction
• Interior dome is 28 m in height and 34m in diameter
• Inner leaves are of 200 mm thick and of 33.6 m in height
• Outer leaves are of 135 mm from their cusps to the line of glazing, beyond
which they thicken to 250 mm and of 22.5 m in height
• Entrance leaves are of 150 mm at center to 300 mm thick at their edges and
of 7.8 m in height
• Shells within the interior dome: 60mm thick

CLADDING
• Shells & arches are clad in white Greek marble panels, preformed in Italy to
the surface profiles and to patterns related to the geometry by Marmi Vicentini
S.P.A Company.
• The panels are fixed by means of stainless steel brackets secured by bolts in
holes drilled after concreting and the joints were filled with molded rubber
cordon & silicon sealant was applied over it.
• Floor finishes were also of white marble
• Balustrades, stairs were precast
• Stones used for stairs were made of red sandstone.