Filament Pavilion
In the V&A's courtyard.
Created by Achim Menges with Moritz Dörstelmann, Jan Knippers, Thomas Auer.
Elytra was a responsive shelter; new components of the structure were built on-site.
The pavilion tested a possible future for architectural and engineering design, exploring how new robotics technologies might transform how buildings are designed and built. The design drew on research into lightweight construction principles found in nature. It is inspired by the filament structures of the shells of flying beetles, known as elytra.
Made of glass and carbon fibre, each component of the canopy was produced using a robotic winding technique developed by the designers. Unlike other fabrication methods, this does not require moulds and can produce an infinite variety of spun shapes, while reducing waste to a minimum.
[V&A Museum]
Filament Pavilion
In the V&A's courtyard.
Created by Achim Menges with Moritz Dörstelmann, Jan Knippers, Thomas Auer.
Elytra was a responsive shelter; new components of the structure were built on-site.
The pavilion tested a possible future for architectural and engineering design, exploring how new robotics technologies might transform how buildings are designed and built. The design drew on research into lightweight construction principles found in nature. It is inspired by the filament structures of the shells of flying beetles, known as elytra.
Made of glass and carbon fibre, each component of the canopy was produced using a robotic winding technique developed by the designers. Unlike other fabrication methods, this does not require moulds and can produce an infinite variety of spun shapes, while reducing waste to a minimum.
[V&A Museum]