Genome Tower

Architect: Mamoru Kawaguchi
Type of Structure: Space structured tower
Awards: Genome Tower is a 20m high wireless communication tower for disaster prevention of a city named Harima Scientific Garden City in Hyogo Prefecture. Motivated by the first draft of the Human genome published in the same year of designing the tower, the structure of the tower was decided to materialize the molecular model of DNA which was constituted by two sugar phosphate backbones in the shape of helices which were connected with each other by base pairs. Those backbones in a congruent twin helical shape with horizontal struts connecting them would act as effective shear members of the tower against lateral forces, when they were designed with subsidiary thin tension members connected to them. Bending of the tower can be absorbed by prestressed vertical cables and the central column.