SOFT.SPACES_Analog and Digital Approaches to Membrane Architecture on the Example of Corner Solutions

Abstract

The desire for new mostly fluent “soft spaces” in architecture cannot be overseen any more. Therefore new tools and approaches are tried out to create architecture with special spatial qualities. In combination with common building- technologies and considered as architectural elements, spatially curved membrane structures and especially anticlastic Minimal Surfaces offer one possible approach to this topic1. This paper presents the result of the research on Minimal Surfaces of membrane corner solutions representing one part of a comprehensive basic re- search in this field. In connection with the exploration of corner solutions, the meaning and potential of analog and digital approaches became obvious. Depend- ing on the potential of the selected tool, the desired results or the purpose of the research one of these strategies will be preferred. Further on this paper partly re- veals new correlations between Minimal Surface and boundary conditions and so far unknown rules in its selforganizing processes. Case studies document new ca- pabilities in designing and creating space in architecture. Latest approaches are dealing with alternative boundary conditions, case studies and with software im- plementation in terms of scripting found rules2. 1.