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5 best...biomorphic structures

Article · September 2017

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Asterios Agkathidis
University of Liverpool
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 best …
biomorphic
structures
Asterios Agkathidis picks some striking examples of structures based on natural forms
The term biomorphism was first introduced by the writer Geoffrey Grigson in 1935 in reference to the sculpture
of Henry Moore, describing a synthesis of Surrealism and abstract art. It has since been associated with fluid,
organic shapes in art, architecture and design. In architecture in particular the term is often used to descibe forms
and patterns inspired by nature. Nature has always played an important role in Western architecture, not only
influencing shape and appearance but also inspiring engineering and technological innovation.
Sagrada Família,
Barcelona
Designed by Antonio Gaudí, the Basilica
i Temple de la Sagrada Familia in
Barcelona combines Art-Deco, Gothic-
and nature-inspired forms in a unique
composition. The interior incorporates
smooth, curved shapes, which transform
seamlessly from floor into walls and
ceiling. The tree-like columns branch out
at the top to form a sculptural sanctuary.
The building’s extreme geometrical
complexity has made its progression
slow. Construction began in 1882 and
relied entirely on manual labour and
craftsmanship. Despite the application of
high-end digital design and fabrication
tools in recent years, its completion is
not expected before 2026. The basilica’s
unique design and spatial qualities led
to it being listed as a UNESCO World
Heritage site.
View of the roof in the
nave, Basilica i Temple
de la Sagrada Família,
Barcelona, construction
started 1882, by Antonio
Gaudí. Photograph by
Asterios Agkathidis.
48 A Magazine for RIBA Friends of Architecture
The Hive, Royal The Hive, Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, London,
Botanic Gardens,
2016, by Wolfgang
Buttress with Tristan
Simmonds and BDP
Kew, London architects. Originally
created for the UK
Pavilion, Milan Expo
Originally built as the centrepiece of 2015. Photograph by
the UK pavilion for the Milan Expo in Asterios Agkathidis.
2015, this installation was transported
back to the UK and reconstructed at
the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew,
London, in 2016. Inspired by a beehive
design, the Hive takes its visitors on an
immersive journey through a colourful
and vibrant wildflower meadow and
into the world of the honeybee within
a series of different landscapes, an
experience which is intensified by sound
and lighting effects. The 17m-high steel
structure achieves an almost immaterial
space experience, defined by its load-
bearing frame. The beehive form has
been adopted by many architects in
recent years, and this example is one of
the most successful in its combination
of structural, spatial and conceptual
elements into a coherent design idea.
It was designed by Nottingham-based
artist Wolfgang Buttress and developed
in partnership with designer and engineer
Tristan Simmonds and with the help of
architectural firm BDP.
Tree-structure
canopy, Marriott
Hotel, Frankfurt
This 1,200m2 canopy was built to shelter
the entrance of the Marriott Hotel in
Frankfurt. Just/Burgeff Architects and
Asterios Agkathidis based the canopy’s
complex geometry on the way that trees
branched and grew in relation to their
structural and load-bearing capacity. The
form not only mimics the appearance of
tree branches but also implements their
structural capabilities by adding curves
to the steel lattice and columns, which
resulted in a more efficient design and
thereby minimised material usage and
construction costs. Completed in 2011,
the canopy was realised as a galvanised
Tree-structure canopy,
steel structure, composed of tubular tubes
2011, by Just/Burgeff
covered by ETFE cushions. Architects and Asterios
Agkathidis. Photograph
by Elbe Sönnecken.
A Magazine for RIBA Friends of Architecture 49
 Rose Pavilion, ETH
Zürich, 2011, designed by
Dimitry Demin, robotic
fabrication by Achilleas
Xydis, structural
engineering by Jürgen S.
Wassink. Photograph by
Christian Schnur.

Rose Pavilion, Zurich

The inspiration for this ETH Zürich project
was the Rosa Canina, also known as
the dog rose, which has a pentagonal
symmetry and double curvature in
its petals. These features have been
translated into a spatial shell structure
through the application of mathematical
rules to produce a striking architectural
form. The pleated surfaces of the pavilion
are made from triangular, weather- and
scratch-resistant aluminum sheets, which
are glued and bolted together into a form
that balances on five legs As well as
being a design-research driven project,
the 5m-tall domed structure served as a
temporary installation at the ETH Zürich
campus, accommodating outdoor events
through the summer. The pavilion was
designed by Dimitry Demin, supported by
Achilleas Xydis in robotic fabrication and
Jürgen S. Wassink in structural engineering.
AD

Callipod, Dorset
Designed and fabricated by participants
of the 2014 Architectural Association
Visiting School, this experimental
prototype aimed to examine the
branching and bundling algorithms of
trees in relation to their structural and
load-bearing capacity. The 2.1m-high and
4.4m-wide installation resembles plant
rhizomes. The installation has no specific
function but serves as a design-research
experiment, exploring innovation in
spatial-material properties and fabrication
techniques applicable in architecture.
Concrete was cast using fabric formers
on a scaffold made of earth. The final
prototype, constructed at the AA’s
Hooke Park campus in Beauminster,
Callipod, Hooke Park,
the AA’s campus in Dorset, integrates harmoniously into
Beauminster, Dorset, the woodland environment. Alexandros
2014, by participants of Kallegias and Elif Erdine were the AA
the AA’s Visiting School. Visiting School’s programme directors.
Photograph, 2014, by
Elif Erdine.

50 A Magazine for RIBA Friends of Architecture

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