London studio Loop.pH mimicked the molecular structures of carbon atoms to generate the form of this illuminated wiry dome.
Named the SOL Dome, the structure was built using Archilace, a lightweight composite fibre developed by Loop.pH, and made up of carbon and fibreglass.
The stiff woven fibres, which can be bent into almost any surface, have been shaped into circles to create a rigid structure based on the chemical and molecular bonds between carbon atoms.
“It is an entirely new way of constructing architectural spaces based on textile principles,” creative director Rachel Wingfield told Dezeen.
London studio Loop.pH mimicked the molecular structures of carbon atoms to generate the form of this illuminated wiry dome.
Named the SOL Dome, the structure was built using Archilace, a lightweight composite fibre developed by Loop.pH, and made up of carbon and fibreglass.
The stiff woven fibres, which can be bent into almost any surface, have been shaped into circles to create a rigid structure based on the chemical and molecular bonds between carbon atoms.
“It is an entirely new way of constructing architectural spaces based on textile principles,” creative director Rachel Wingfield told Dezeen.
The studio created the installation as part of the Fall In… Art and Sol Festival in Michigan, USA, an annual art and science exhibition that this year is focussing on solar-powered art.
Solar cells at the base of the dome store energy during the day and are then used to power an animated lighting sequence that is projected over the surface of the structure after dark.
“The rotational breathing rhythm of the light is driven by an onsite CO2 sensor and is part of our studio’s ongoing research into creating environments that allow people to experience cycles of environmental data in public space,” said Wingfield.
Wingfield also compares the structure to the experimental architecture of Buckminster Fuller.
“It’s a further development on Buckminster Fuller’s work on geodesic domes where the solid rods are replaced by a single tubular membrane,” she added.