Frei Otto's wool path

One thing in the architecture world that amazes me is the use of Physics simulation in architecture design. I am myself have been busy with tension active system for two years now, and it's alot of fun. From what I learned, I never know who is the originally-very first architect who use this technique. But about almost one hundred years ago, an architect from Barcelona used hanging chains for his design. His name was Antonio Gaudi. Before him there was actually an architect that also used tensile steel for his building. He wasn't as famous as Gaudi, his name was Vladimir Shukhov. This technique is further developed and researched properly in the University of Stuttgart in 1980's by Frei Otto which he later perfected and used for German pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal and the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

What I try to simulate in the video is the form finding technique (minimal path) with wool thread develop for a thesis by Marek Kolodziejczyk.

The Software is rhino and Kangaroo from Daniel Piker. The simulation created by using particle to interact with each other and connect them to become interpolated curve. Have fun.

Please see Daniel Piker's page: spacesymmetrystructure, for more awesome simulation.