The Evolution of Shell Lace Structure
John Hill
22. September 2014
All photographs courtesy of Tonkin Liu
Architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu have spent six years researching and developing Shell Lace Structure, a tailored surface structural technique they are exhibiting at RIBA.
Tonkin Liu, who have collaborated with Arup on Shell Lace, define it as "a single surface structural technique inspired by the evolution of seashells and the ancient art of tailoring." A mix of digital techniques and hands-on approaches, the modern and the ancient, has been used to create corrugated and curved structures that are thin yet strong, most notably in the Rain Bow Gate in front of the college of Burnley (model above).
Tonkin Liu: The Evolution of Shell Lace Structure, at the RIBA in London until 8 October 2014, exhibits models and drawings that explain the evolution of the pioneering technique. Additionally, Anna Liu and Mike Tonkin will speak at the RIBA on the evening of 7 October to discuss Shell Lace Structure with Bartlett professor Murray Fraser.
