NBP 2019 - KnitCandela
NBP Research Leads:
- Mariana Popescu
- Lex Reiter
Extended Team:
- Dr. Matthias Rippmann +, Dr. Andrew Liew, Dr. Tom Van Mele, Prof. Dr. Philippe Block
- Tim Wangler, Andreas Reusser, Prof. Robert Flatt
External Collaborators:
- Computational Design Group of Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHCODE)
- Architecture Extrapolated (R-Ex)
- Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC), Mexico City
KnitCandela is an homage to Félix Candela. It reimagines his sculptural concrete shells through the introduction of novel computational design methods and the KnitCrete formwork technology.
The shell’s dynamic geometry is inspired by the fluid forms of the traditional and colourful dress of Jalisco, Mexico. With this cable-net and fabric formwork system, expressive, freeform concrete surfaces can now be constructed efficiently, without the need for complex moulds. KnitCandela’s thin, doubly-curved concrete shell with a surface area of almost 50 m2 and weighing more than 5 tonnes, was applied on a KnitCrete formwork of only 55 kg. The knitted fabric of the formwork system was brought to Mexico from Switzerland in a suitcase.
Designed and constructed by multiple teams in Europe and Mexico, the realisation of KnitCandela is the result of a collaborative effort that harnessed research in computational design and digital fabrication, with collective expertise for on-site realisation.
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