Sculptor Marc Fornes sets algorithmic parameters, then generates large self-supported sculptures based on the results. The work has an oltherworldly quality.
Via Architect Magazine:
The sculpture is made up of 4,672 strips of less than one-millimeter-thick perforated aluminum that are fastened by 103,723 rivets. Measuring 25'-tall-by-30' wide, its monochromatic hue relies on natural light—an ample resource found in the atrium lined with large windows and a skylight—to create gray gradients against its curvatures and create new shapes through perspective.
Inspired by late German architect Frei Otto's membrane-like structures, the firm utilized its own "intensive curvature" technique which aims to maintain the maximum radii of an object while creating tighter curves in multiple directions. This technique is made possible by Fornes' "structural stripe" system whereby strips of a material are made specific to their location on a project, and respond to neighboring pieces in order to create a structurally sound whole. In other words, as Fornes described it at a lecture in Bangalore, India, these stripes take advantage of tangential continuity, or "linear parts describing a non-linear type of geometry."
Bonus video: The Stripes Effect:
• The Stripes Effect (Vimeo / MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY)
