Experimental Modelling Benv2426/7154 UNSW 2011 - Sam yao Ling Li

The central concept for the experiments in which these images are the resultant, comes from the ideas explored in a prior assignment. The source material that I chose to reviewed was a chapter in the book “Frank O. Gehry: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao” by Coosje van Bruggen, in this particular chapter the author researches the origin of Gehry’s Guggenheim design, from the form to the cladding. There is a strong connection between the form and cladding system that Gehry has employed over the course of his early career as an architect, it started from his early experimentations into form of animals (fish and snakes), how he can convey different meanings with the same shape where used in different context (type of building and location). His experiments mainly involve the reduction to the fish’s form. It was during this period of experimentation that he discovers a system to clad the exterior of his designs that is similar to the scales of a fish. The form of a fish with its head and tail removed gives of a sense of movement in still object; this concept of his was realized in his fish sculpture for the Barcelona Olympics.

The form found in many of the images on this poster is attributed to Gehry’s fish sculpture because I was trying to mimic the form found in that particular sculpture. By the time I have achieved a form that is slight similar to the sculpture and have played with the parameter inputs I realized I can use the same Grasshopper3D description to create 3 type of structures depending on size and utilities of the site;- A tower if the size (large) of the site is adequate and if that is the use of the structure, the model rotated up-right and scaled up.- A walkway/tunnel when the site is slander and long, the model can be rotated sideways.- A sculpture, the size of the model can be scaled down.The site I have chosen to use is the Bennelong site near the Opera House. The main reason for this decision is related to the form of the model and the concepts behind why it looks the way it does; a fish.

The version of the model I have chosen to put on the site is the form of a fish surfacing, breaking the water (hexagons in model) with its “head” and “tail”. The use of the structure can either be a mall or a walkway.

FishContortion.

Different Iteration of the above model with a different set of parameters.

Above & below: One iteration generation from Grasshopper3D then rendered with 3DS Max with vray plug-in on the Bennelong site. A fish/whale breaking the surface of the water (hexagons).

Above: First thing to the main iterations. This was create to see whether the Grasshopper3D description used to create the form of a fish can also be used to create a tower-ing structure. This was surprisingly easy to create, simple by rotate the initial ellipse and replace the move direction from the Y axis to the Z axis. By modifying the way the tower is scaled, it becomes easy to create the disc base.

Left & right:This iteration was cre-

ated to see if I can deform the X and Y axis and

still get a recognisable tower. Same process as the above tower but with the X and Y axis move

component connected to a curve modifier.

Left & right:Modified fish sculpture. I was playing around with the Y axis modifier to see if I can create something that recreate the sense

of movement better. The Y axis curve type was

changed to one that com-bined both the Sin and

Cos curve.

Left & Right:Stairs added to follow the curve of the “spine” of the fish to create a tunnel or

cave like space.

Left & right:Modified tunnels, They both have their Y axis

curve modified.

Left, right & below:This sculpture/tunnel

tries to imitate the form of Gehry’s fish sculpture.