Paarshav Shah - The Hexadrome

This was a weekend competition submission with my friends, Harry Halimulati and Nick Rosenthal. This was a fun one you guys.

At approximately 1:30 a.m. on March 26, 2024, a cargo ship leaving the Port of Baltimore struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge. This caused a collapse of the bridge.

We present to you, the Hexadrome. The hexavalent nature of this design simply arose from exploring the underutilized conditions around the site, ranging from caissons to empty shorelines. Expansion below the footprint of the bridge was seen as an opportunity for growth, resulting in an urban plan that thoroughly focuses on restoring the southeast coast. A designed exit ramp floats onto hexapods lifted from the naturally preserved marshlands, establishing recreational green spaces and viewpoints. From here, you can celebrate the ingenuity of the bridge, or peacefully stare at the bay.

The Hexadrome’s approach was inspired by the original bridge, rising gracefully above the tree canopies and veining through, as if taking off into the sky. Soon, perforated aluminum panels gently rise around you, funneling into monumental concrete crucibles, taking you to a ‘non-space’. Then, all of a sudden, immense weight and density are replaced by a visually dynamic network of tessellated hexagonal frames, guiding you through a structural symphony of tension and compression. There are massive girders working alongside delicate beams, and though the shapes of the structural elements appear to deceive the laws of physics, in reality, they reflect the flow of acting forces.

The Hexadrome is our answer to the conventional practicality of our built world, as we create structural artistry and protect the sanctity of ingenuity.

.