Tensegrity Dome, 2016

A full scale tensegrity construction in the form of a dome.

Working on the idea of the shelter we realised that its powerful concept does not only lie in its physical characteristics, but also in its intangible qualities. To explore this notion to the furthest, we decided to use a contradiction. Create a shelter, a cover that does not cover, a refugee whose physical characteristics offer no protection, but whose intangible qualities can create a sanctuary more powerful than any physical barrier could ever provide.

Thus we created an igloo as the embodiment of the idea of shelter, but from a transparent, lightweight and permeable shel. To materialise it we opted for a full scale tensegrity structure in the form of a dome, using a tensegrity module called “enlarged Octahedron” which is the geometrical equivalent of an Icosahedron, as a brick.

The height of each module being around 20cm, to create a dome we would need hundreds of modules to reach the human scale. Due to the unpredictability and flexibility of the tensegrity model, we used computer simulation in order to get insight of the behaviour of the possible assemblies with Grasshopper-Kangaroo1, which allowed us to simulate physical forces such as gravity, tension and compression.

To make the construction of hundreds of models feasible we developed a prototype demountable mould that would facilitate and accelerate the construction of each module, without waste of material.

The final igloo had more than 200 modules, a height of around 2 meters, and a weight less than 5 kilos. After its assemblage it exhibited considerable deformation over time due to the flexibility of the thread, but its geometrical and structural integrity were not compromised.