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To accommodate the church's congregation, a significant redesign was necessary. Instead of the planned four corner columns and one central column, LeMessurier was persuaded to shift the building's structural columns, allowing the church to remain in place. This decision set the stage for an engineering challenge: how to ensure the building could withstand both gravity and wind pressures.
The Ingenious Solution
In their innovative approach, LeMessurier drew inspiration from nature. He likened the structural support needed to a pine tree, with branches that provided the necessary stability. The design incorporated diagonal members that formed a rigid framework to keep the edges of the building stable during high winds.