Flexibility in Factory Structures: The Case of the Igus Factory

Flexibility is a topic that is active in many areas, and it stands out even more with the concept of sustainability in architecture. In terms of adapting to changes in factory building structures and enabling different production styles, the idea of flexibility, which can be handled in many different contexts, is examined in this study. All buildings are subject to change over time; however, commercial buildings today need more change concerning customer-market activity. Therefore, buildings where mass production takes place, such as factories, are directly affected by the mobility of the market and need to keep up with this structural change. The study aims to probe the gains received by planning the factory buildings on the axis of flexible building design. First of all, through the terms function, capacity and operation: the concept of building flexibility is clarified then the flexibility capacity is defined. What might be applied to design the structures flexibly is displayed. Since flexibility is concerned with the focus of factories, the way the factories operate and the dynamics that cause them to go through constant change are clarified. Why flexibility is crucial in factories structurally, and applications on the Igus (Cologne) Factory, designed by the office of architect Nicholas Grimshaw is highlighted. Structural decisions thus taken about flexibility and various architectural productions carried out in the Igus Factory are clarified. Finally, the conclusions reached on the axis of the factory and flexibility were evaluated.