The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) is pleased to present a Zaha Hadid Architects site specific installation opening October 12 in the SCI-Arc Gallery. It has been named Pleated Shell Structures which will run till December 2nd 2012. A short term research prototype designed by Zaha Hadid and her firm, it places itself within the argument of parametric design research and focus its efforts on design methods that encompass an operative pathway from design intent to manifestation.

Physical form-finding such as hanging chains and cloth, soap films etc. and associated architectural design methods as pioneered by Antonio Gaudi, Heinz Isler, Frei Otto, Felix Candela and others is common knowledge among architects. The proposed research-prototype aims to extend this work to adequately represent the ambitions and complexities of scale, digital design systems and delivery mechanisms of contemporary architectural practices.

The installation explores as a design-build exercise, synergies between architectural articulation, engineering logics and fabrication constraints. It is a continuation of Zaha Hadid Architects’ on-going research on architectural articulation of self-supporting, curved surface geometries.