Ultra-lightweight construction

Abstract

The search for lightweight constructions is the search for boundaries. Designing the lightest possible constructions can be equated with feeling one’s way towards the limits of what is physically and technically possible. It is about the aesthetics and physics of the minimal, and it is about stepping across the dividing lines between scientific disciplines. Using the concept of ultra-lightweight structures developed by the author, it becomes possible to reduce the use of material to a minimum hitherto considered unachievable. Moreover, it leads to the reduction in distortions and helps to dampen vibrations – an enormous progress opening up interesting new perspectives for architecture. This article describes the theoretical considerations underlying the concept of ultra-lightweight structures and presents a selection of experimental structures demonstrating the potential of this new concept.