PolyThread Knitted Pavilion
Jenny Sabin Studio is an experimental architecture and design studio based in Philadelphia, which is mainly focused on applying theories from biology and mathematics to the design of material structures. The Studio has been chosen by the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York to design the Pavilion for the Beauty – Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial. The triennial will be on view from February 12 to August 21, 2016. The exhibition is principally focused on aesthetic innovation and the work by Sabin is a part of the theme ‘Emergent’ (the others are Extravagant, Intricate, Ethereal, Transgressive, Elemental, Transformative and comprehend works by 65 designers from all over the world). Displayed in room 302, the PolyThread knitted pavilion was realized thanks to the technique of 3d printed nylon. The 400 square foot textile pavilion is a seven-foot-high multi-colored temporary architecture and is made up of photo-luminescent and solar-active threads that absorb luminescence. All the elements that compose the pavilion have been made and knotted individually. Together with the pavilion, another Sabin’s creation will be displayed and we’re talking about PolyBricks – realized thanks to the techniques of 3d printing and digital ceramics. The pavilion, which has been realized to specifically fit the exhibition in NY, will probably be one of the main attractions of the Triennial, both because of its size (it’s actually the biggest work of the exhibition) and of the innovative approach to the subject. The fifteen-minute length sequence of the trick of the light will definitely enthrall visitors, due to the rhythmic transition of colors, from pale blue to white. Practically speaking, those threads will be able to absorb light and sun rays during the day and release them by night: a fascinating union between mathematics and nature.
By: Alessandra Zucchetta
