cecil balmond: element exhibition

‘danzer’ all images © tony erapuro

sri lankan architect cecil balmond is showcasing his work on architectural geometry at the tokyo opera city art gallery. interested in rethinking how architecture is displayed to museum audiences, he purposely uses no formal plans or models in his exhibition. instead he fills the space with many photographs and drawings with the intention of creating a exhibition that hones each visitor’s senses and make him or her think of using their body, rather than gaining understanding by reading information.

drawing from nature, balmond’s work surrounds the theme of geometry and patterns. he finds the underlying order and rhythm that resides within the natural environment and develops it into a new geometry that greatly increases the possibilities of contemporary architecture.

balmond’s structural designs break away from a closed, static paradigm based on rectangles, triangles, and circles, and transform into something dynamic, organic, and full of complexity. in doing so, he breathes life into architecture.

‘danzer’

danzer is a giant, three-dimensional puzzle. close examination reveals that it is made up of only four kinds of tetrahedrons, each of which in turn is embedded with miniature versions of these four tetrahedrons. nature abides with the same kind of fractal forms, from the shape of coastlines to the branching of trees.

‘danzer’

‘danzer’ ‘danzer’ ‘h_edge’

this three-dimensional work consists solely of h-shaped aluminum plates and chains. unable to stand on their own, the plates and chains combine together in a regular way to support each other, creating a labyrinth space of seemingly infinite scale, extending both within and without.

‘h_edge’ detail

‘h_edge’ detail

‘h_edge’ cast shadow

exhibition panels

setting up ‘h_edge’

setting up ‘h_edge’

geometric patterns transferred to exhibition space

detail

setting up ‘danzer’

exhibition panels

model of exhibition panel

‘danzer’ model

‘danzer’ model

balmond makes full use of modern computer and construction technology in the process of his work. at the same time, many balmond’s ideas are simple algorithms that code a building like genes building an organism.

computerized model of ‘danzer’

exhibition space site plan

exhibition space site sketch portrait of cecil balmond, deputy chairman of arup