This is a list of hyperboloid structures. These were first applied in architecture by Russian engineer Vladimir Shukhov (1853–1939). Shukhov built his first example as a water tower (hyperbolic shell) for the 1896 All-Russian Exposition. Subsequently, more have been designed by other architects, including Le Corbusier, Antoni Gaudí, Eduardo Torroja, Oscar Niemeyer and Ieoh Ming Pei.
The shapes are doubly ruled surfaces, which can be classed as: Hyperbolic paraboloids, such as saddle roofs Hyperboloid of one sheet, such as cooling towers
Notable projects
Structure Image Date completed Location Country Function Height Architect NotesShukhov Tower in Polibino1896PolibinoHyperboloid water tower 37 m (121 ft)Vladimir ShukhovThe world's first hyperboloid structure featured at the 1896 All-Russian Exposition in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.Adziogol Lighthouse1911KhersonHyperboloid lighthouse tower 64 m (211 ft)Vladimir ShukhovIllustrates a hyperboloid lattice.Stanislav Range Front Light1911KhersonHyperboloid lighthouse tower 26 m (85 ft)Vladimir ShukhovChurch of Colònia Güell1915Santa Coloma de CervellóHyperboloid building cathedral vaultsAntoni GaudíAn unfinished building with hyperbolic paraboloid vaults.Shukhov Tower1922MoscowHyperboloid broadcast tower 160 m (525 ft)Vladimir ShukhovUnless the international campaign can save it, the 1922 Shukhov Tower is under current threat of demolition.Shukhov tower on the Oka River1929Nizhny NovgorodHyperboloid electricity pylon towers 128 m (420 ft)Vladimir ShukhovThe Shukhov Tower on the Oka River is the world's only diagrid hyperboloid electricity pylon transmission tower. In 2005 one tower was illegally taken down to re-sell the metal.p.3, «Stählerne Grazie am Strand der Oka», Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 22.06.2005Dorton Arena1952Raleigh, North CarolinaHyperbolic paraboloid saddle roof on arenaMaciej NowickiTransmitter Building of Europe 1 1954ÜberherrnHyperbolic paraboloid saddle roof 16 m (52 ft)transmitter building of a 2000 kW longwave broadcasting transmitterFedala Reservoir1957MohammediaHyperboloid water towerEduardo TorrojaOchsenkopf TV Tower1958OchsenkopfHyperboloid broadcast tower 163 m (535 ft) Radio and TV tower made of reinforced concrete.Philips Pavilion1958Brussels, BelgiumA cluster of nine hyperbolic paraboloid concrete roofsLe CorbusierCommissioned by the Netherlands electronics company Philips, the pavilion at the World's Fair Expo '58 in Brussels was designed by Le Corbusier to house a multimedia spectacle that celebrated postwar technological progress. Mürwik Wasserturm (Mürwik Water Tower)1961FlensburgHyperboloid water towerWarszawa Ochota railway station1962WarsawHyperbolic paraboloid saddle roof on train stationChurch Army Chapel, Blackheath1963Blackheath, south east LondonHyperbolic paraboloid saddle roof on churchE.T. SpashettKobe Port Tower1963KōbeHyperboloid observation tower 108 m (354 ft)Nikken Sekkei CompanySaint Louis Science Center's James S. McDonnell Planetarium1963St. Louis, MissouriHyperboloid building museum planetariumGyo Obata of Hellmuth, Obata and KassabaumMöglingen Wasserturm (Möglingen Water Tower)1965LudwigsburgHyperboloid water towerR. KesslerŚwięty Krzyż TV Tower1966Łysa GóraHyperboloid broadcast tower 157 m (515 ft)Water tower in Rishon LeZion1967Rishon LeZionHyperboloid water tower 33.5 m (109.9 ft)Newcastle International Airport air traffic control tower1967Newcastle upon TyneHyperboloid observation towerCockfosters Water Tower1968LondonHyperboloid water towerEdmund C. Percey of Scherrer and Hicks and J.W. MilneCockfosters Water Tower is in Cockfosters Road, north London, on the edge of Trent Park.Ještěd Tower1968LiberecHyperboloid broadcast tower 94 m (308 ft)Karel HubáčekWrexham Swimming Baths, now the Wrexham Waterworld Leisure and Activity Centre1969Wrexham, WalesHyperbolic paraboloid saddle roof on indoor swimming poolF.D. Williamson associates of BridgendCathedral of Brasília1970BrasíliaHyperboloid building cathedral 42 m (138 ft)Oscar NiemeyerScandinavium1971GothenburgHyperbolic paraboloid saddle roof on arenaPoul Hultberg, for Nils Olsson's Gothenburg firmCiechanów Water Tower1972CiechanówHyperboloid water towerJan Bogusławski, Jerzy Michał BogusławskiA toroidal water tower tank on a doubly ruled hyperboloid structure.Gettysburg National Tower1974-2000Gettysburg, PennsylvaniaHyperboloid observation tower 120 m (390 ft)Joel H. RosenblattDemolished in 2000.:de:BIZ-Turm (BIS Tower) of the Bank for International Settlements1977BaselHyperboloid skyscraper tower 69.5 m (228 ft)Martin BurckhardtTower for the untouchables.Sydney Tower1981SydneyHyperboloid observation tower 309 m (1,014 ft)Donald Crone, AustralianLe Havre's House of Culture, a.k.a. :fr:Le Volcan (salle) (The Volcano (hall/auditorium))1982Le HavreHyperboloid building concert hallOscar Niemeyer, BrazilianRoy Thomson Hall1982TorontoHyperboloid building concert hallArthur Erickson and Mathers and Haldenby, CanadianScotiabank Saddledome1983CalgaryHyperbolic paraboloid saddle roof on indoor arenaGraham McCourt ArchitectsTHTR-300 thorium nuclear reactor cooling tower1983Hamm-UentropHyperboloid cooling tower 180 m (590 ft)Schlaich Bergermann & PartnerThe THTR-300 cable-net dry cooling tower for the now decommissioned thorium high-temperature nuclear reactor.Canada Place1985Vancouver, British ColumbiaHyperbolic paraboloid saddle roofs in series with masts and fabric resembling sailsZeidler Roberts Partnership in joint venture with Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership and DA Architects + Planners.Canada Place houses the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel, Vancouver's World Trade Centre, the virtual flight ride FlyOver Canada, and is the main cruise ship terminal for the region.Tractricious1988Fermilab, Batavia, IllinoisHyperboloid public art sculptureRobert R. WilsonThe Tractricious sculpture in front of Fermilab's Illinois Accelerator Research Center (IARC), Illinois, designed by Robert R. Wilson who derived the name Tractricious from tracktrix, a curve such that any tangent segment from the tangent point on the curve to the curve's asymptote have constant length, a concept first introduced by Claude Perrault in 1670. Yangudun Radio and Television Tower 1994 Qingdao Hyperboloid observation tower 108 m (354 ft)Corporation Street Bridge1999ManchesterHyperboloid building enclosed walkwayHodder + Partners Orion Tower 2001 Samara Hyperboloid broadcast tower 201 m (660 ft) Radio and TV steel lattice towerKillesberg Tower2001StuttgartHyperboloid observation tower 40.4 m (133 ft)Jörg Schlaich and Schlaich Bergermann PartnerOriginally planned for the 1993 World Horticultural Exposition, it was only erected in 2001.Aussichtsturm Schlossberg (Schlossberg View Tower) a.k.a. Castle Hill Tower2002Freiburg im BreisgauHyperboloid observation tower 35 m (115 ft)Hubert Horbach, Freiburg Hitachinaka Power Plant 2003 Hitachinaka Hyperboloid smokestack 230 m (754 ft) Radio Mast at Krupskoi Street2003PermHyperboloid broadcast tower 180 m (591 ft) Radio and TV steel lattice towerMesse Wien Turm / Messeturm (Vienna Trade Fair Tower / Exhibition-tower)2004ViennaHyperboloid public art sculpture decorative illuminated tower landmark 63 m (207 ft)Gustav Peichl, Rudolf F. Weber, Katharina Fröch, Christoph Lechner, Paul Katzberger, Gerhard Moßburger, Norbert ErlachThe largest trade fair in Austria and one of the most important economic factors of Vienna.Barcelona–El Prat Airport air traffic control tower2005El Prat de Llobregat, near BarcelonaHyperboloid observation towerRicardo Bofill, SpanishBorůvka Tower2005ChrudimHyperboloid observation tower 18.5 m (61 ft)Martin Novák and Antonín OlšinaBlog entry jaroslavmachacek.com :de:TBZ-Turm (TBZ Tower)2005ZürichHyperboloid observation tower 13.3 m (47 ft)Daniel Roth (artist), GermanThe winner of a 2003 competition had his tower built on the roof of the Zürich's Technical Vocational School. Initially accessible, the observation tower has been closed indefinitely due to student mischief.Aspire Tower a.k.a. "The Torch Doha" 2007DohaHyperboloid skyscraper tower 300 m (984 ft)Hadi Simaan and AREP and engineer Ove Arup and PartnersBMW Welt (BMW World)2007MunichHyperboloid building event venue and museumViennese professor Wolf D. Prix and architect firm Coop Himmelb (l) auTornado Tower a.k.a. the "QIPCO Tower" 2008DohaHyperboloid skyscraper tower 195 m (640 ft):de:Lörmecke-Turm (Lörmecke Tower)2008Warstein, Arnsberg, North Rhine-WestphaliaHyperboloid observation tower 35 m (115 ft)Joh.-Ulrich Blecke and Dr. Ing. Michael MaasSlunečná Tower2009Velké PavloviceHyperboloid observation tower 18.6 m (61 ft)Ing. Martin Novák in cooperation with Antonín OlšinaCanton Tower a.k.a. Guangzhou Tower2010GuangzhouHyperboloid skyscraper tower 604 m (1,982 ft)Dutch architects Mark Hemel and Barbara Kuit of Information Based Architecture, together with Arup, the international design, engineering and business consulting firm headquartered in LondonThe Canton Tower is in the Haizhu District of the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton), in Guangdong, China.Ferrari World Abu Dhabi2010Yas Island in Abu DhabiHyperboloid buildingthe largest space frame structure ever built:de:Jübergturm (Jüberg Tower)2010:de:Jüberg, Hemer, Märkischer Kreis, Arnsberg, North Rhine-WestphaliaHyperboloid observation tower 23.5 m (77 ft)Beat Müller and Katharina Schewe, Swiss + Birk and Heilmeyer, StuttgartThe first wooden hyperboloid tower structurally supported only by the outer wood framework.Khan Shatyry Entertainment Center2010Khan Shatyr, AstanaHyperboloid superstructure 150 m (492 ft)Norman Foster of Foster and PartnersThe highest tensile structure in the world.Lee Valley VeloPark a.k.a. London VeloPark2011Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, East LondonHyperbolic paraboloid saddle roof on cycling centre arenaHopkins Architects, Grant AssociatesMae West (sculpture)2011MunichHyperboloid public art sculpture 52 m (171 ft)Rita McBrideSan Clan2012Tankwa Karoo National ParkHyperboloid public art sculpture tower A temporary tower and ephemeral effigy constructed to intentionally burn in celebration at AfrikaBurn 2012, a Burning Man regional event.Vysoká u Tachova Tower2014TachovHyperboloid observation towerHysek architectural studioPerm TV Tower2016PermHyperboloid broadcast tower 275 m (902 ft)A radio and TV steel lattice towerWarsaw Spire2016WarsawHyperboloid skyscraper tower 220 m (721 ft)Jaspers-Eyers Architects and PROJEKT Polsko-Belgijska Pracownia ArchitekturyThe Warsaw Spire is a complex of Neomodern office buildings in Warsaw, Poland.Camp Adventure2018Gisselfeld Klosters forests, between Haslev and Næstved,Hyperboloid observation tower 45 m (148 ft)EFFEKT Architects45m spiral walkway.Vakif Bank Headquarters Tower2023Istanbul Financial Center, IstanbulHyperboloid skyscraper tower 222 m (726 ft)Tabanlıoğlu ArchitectsThe Vakif Bank Headquarters Tower is a project of Istanbul Financial Center (IFC) office buildings in Istanbul, Turkey.Les Essarts-le-Roi Château d'Eau (Les Essarts-le-Roi Water Tower)Les Essarts-le-Roi, YvelinesHyperboloid water towerGen Coel BuildingHeerlerheide, HeerlenHyperboloid building public library, shopping, and community centreUtilizes geothermal mine water ("Mijnwater") heating and cooling. See also: :nl:Aardwarmte#Aardwarmte uit mijngangen.Tempo (sculpture), a.k.a. Samspel (interaction/interplay/teamwork)HusnesHyperboloid public art sculptureLEADincCommissioned by Hydro Husnes, formerly Sør-Norge Aluminium AS.Sagrada FamíliaBarcelonaHyperboloid building cathedral vaults and windowsAntoni GaudíUnder construction since 1882 with an estimated completion in 2026.Markham Moor Scorer Building1960Markham Moor junctionCaféSam Scorer
Notable projects never built