The Elytra Filament Pavilion
The Elytra Filament Pavilion is the central installation of the Engineering Season at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, exploring the creative potential of integrated design engineering.
The canopy structure was formed in the first build from forty hexagonal modules. Over the course of the installation, human interaction [footfall and inhabitation] has been mapped and translated into additional modules, and the construction continued during live events.
The engineering and fabrication applies lessons learned from the Elytra beetle’s nest building, employing robotic weaving techniques to craft an innovative, compelling materiality over the mild steel modules.
The design, engineering and fabrication team have created a wonderful pavilion with intelligence and material sympathy. The balance between the control of the digital, and the compelling physical assembly, is exciting and skillful; a highly successful application of technique and creativity to deliver spatial experience.
Design, Engineering and Fabrication Team:
Achim Menges with Moritz Dörstelmann and local team Institute for Computational Design [ICD] , University of Stuttgart Achim Menges Architect, Frankfurt
Jan Knippers and local team [including James Solly] ITKE Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design, University of Stuttgart Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering, Stuttgart, New York
Thomas Auer and local team Transsolar Climate Engineering, Stuttgart Building Technology and Climate Responsive Design, TU München
