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In several of Frei Otto’s early membrane structures, acoustics was a rather relevant design aspect that could not be controlled through classical form-finding approaches based on physical models. Moreover, it is possible to add that, geometrically speaking, Frei Otto’s membranes could naturally perform acoustically, because of their anticlastic shape and the ability of the convex areas to scatter sound. In this paper, two of Frei Otto’s key projects are revisited and redesigned parametrically using mathematical optimisation: first, the Dance Pavilion that was conceived for the Federal Garden Exhibition in Cologne (1957); and, second, the large umbrellas that were built at the same venue in 1971. His architectural form of “necessity” represents the structural optimum, that is, a buildable technology, which can now be informed by other performance criteria, such as acoustics. The work described in this paper could show a possible way of expanding Frei Otto’s two-step design method, which was based on the sequential use of a form-finding model first – to literally “find” structural form – and then a technological model – to study the tectonic aspects of the structure and endow it with materiality. This paper was inspired by the rock set designs of Mark Fisher and – in particular – by the retractable umbrellas that Frei Otto designed, in 1977, for the second leg of Pink Floyd’s “In the Flesh Tour”, which was also known as the “Animals Tour”.

This paper aims to review Dante Bini’s career, as well as his form-resistant Binishell and other pneumatic construction systems. The role of Mario Salvadori in Bini’s international success works as the introduction to a broader discussion about the relationship between innovation in design and innovation in construction for shell and gridshell designers. The second part of the paper focuses, instead, on Bini’s double profile—architect and builder—which led him to develop his inventions both architecturally and as commercial products.

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Exhibition and catalogue review, Architecture Australia (summary on hardcopy, full review online).

The cultural legacy of Pier Luigi Nervi, one of Italy’s most influential modern architect-engineers, was the subject of the Pier Luigi Nervi and Australia: Outback Modernism Exhibition (6–16 June 2017). Held at the Harry Seidler-designed QV1 Building in Perth, the exhibition demonstrated the breadth and complexity of Nervi’s international projects, his collaborative work with Seidler and his contribution to the wider Australian vernacular. Annette Condello, senior lecturer in architecture at Curtin University, curated and organized the exhibition in collaboration with Cristiana Chiorino from ComunicArch Associates, Turin, and the Pier Luigi Nervi Project Association, Brussels – a foundation committed to the preservation of Nervi’s legacy and the rehabilitation of his structures. A selection of Nervi’s projects were exhibited, including the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the Cathedral of St Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco and the New Norcia Cathedral and Monastery in rural Western Australia.

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This paper presents the construction of Airshell, a small timber gridshell prototype erected by employing a pneumatic formwork. Inspired by the work of Frei Otto and Dante Bini, the technique is based on a pneumatic membrane and an Arduino® board – the former used as dynamic formwork and the latter to monitor both the structure height and the membrane pressure throughout the process. The prototype was erected in Pesaro, Italy, in December 2016; the design replicates a gridshell built in Lecce in 2009 by the Italian company "Gridshell.it", which was built through a more conventional push-up technique. A comparison between the two erection methods is therefore proposed in terms of construction speed and accuracy/precision of the built form. Design and technological aspects, as well as time frame and budget of the proposed construction technique are detailed within the text. The paper also discusses the relationship between the digital simulation of the erection process, which was already formulated by Liuti et al. in 2015, and the actual results achieved.

Construction has always been a fascinating and challenging aspect of timber gridshells. So far, only three techniques have successfully been used for the erection of such structures: the so-called ‘lift-up’, ‘push-up’ and ‘ease-down’ (Quinn et al. 2015). Inflatable Membrane Technology is here proposed as a new solution and is tested by means of numerical simulations on a simple case study. As a matter of fact, IMT reduces the timber lath’s stress during erection and guarantees an optimal shape control. It also seems suitable to post-form more challenging gridshell geometries, but this aspect still deserves further investigations and experiments.

In book: La bellezza per il rospo (Beauty according to the toad) (pp.221-222), Publisher: CLEAN Edizioni, Editors: Roberta Amirante, Carmine Piscopo, Paola Scala.

Born in the world of mathematics to define all those “equations that express a set of quantities as explicit functions of a number of independent variables, known as ‘parameters’." Its architectural transposition, which was introduced by Luigi Moretti during the Forties, indicates a consistent system of elements and relationships among them, that is founded on the construction of topological rather than metrical spaces. In other words, it identifies the only invariant of each and every design process with the potential of standardization in digital design and allows software developers to release specific programs which are able to support conceptual design in architecture.

This paper describes a new erection technique for post-formed timber gridshells which takes advantage of inflatable membrane technology. Consolidated construction techniques for timber gridshells are based either on “pull-up” / “push-up” (i.e. Mannheim Multihalle) or “ease-down” behavior (i.e. Downland Open Air Museum). However, these techniques show shortcomings already at small scale. When applied to large scale, a lack of a standardised, cost-effective erection method implies that techniques have to be reinvented every time. When construction becomes expensive and laborious, gridshells become affordable only for exceptional projects, such as the Downland Museum or the Mannheim Multihalle. These are among the reasons why gridshells are not widely applied, even if they enable covering large spans with a minimum amount of material; they are built from basic technologies though self-construction; they are fast to construct; they are entirely recyclable. In this work, an inflatable membrane is designed and used to erect a gridshell prototype with a footprint of 55m2. Inspiration comes from the work by architect Dante Bini, who realised thousands of inflatable concrete domes worldwide.

The Italian architect Dante Bini began his studies on shell structures during the 1960s. He developed and refined a form-finding and construction technique to erect a finished large-span reinforced concrete (RC) shell structure through the use of an inflatable membrane. This system was patented in 1964 under the name ‘Binishell’ and, over the following decades, it has been applied to construct hundreds of domes throughout the world. Bini’s invention fitted perfectly into the Italian post-war tradition, as he was, at the same time, the architect and builder of his structures. A few experimental tests were initially performed in Italy, and the first binishells that he lifted after the patent was filed were also constructed there. Since 1966, as a result of Mario Salvadori’s interest, Bini has been recognised internationally. In 1974 he moved to Australia after the NSW Department of Public Works asked him to realise a set of school facilities using the binishell technology. The construction of concrete shells has always been a difficult and expensive process – the preparation of formworks, as well as the installation of curved reinforcing rods before the concrete is poured, require experience and increase the construction costs. Such problems are particularly relevant in the Australian context, where the use of simple and rapid construction technologies has always been a priority. Dante Bini’s life and the binishell technology have been well documented from the historical point of view. However, a detailed report and contextualisation of Dante Bini’s Australian experience is still missing. A first attempt to survey the Australian binishells has already been published by the authors.2 The focus was on placing Bini’s early work within the previous research on pneumatic structures which began in the 1920s. The narrative of this paper instead starts in the 1960s, a period of great media success for RC shells. First, the origin of binishells is described as a natural consequence of three preceding inventions/patents. A timeline of the events that defined Bini’s emigration to Australia is then provided. A full list of the Australian binishells is also included, with detailed information on the archival sources, major alterations and current conditions.

Timber gridshell structures, such as the Multihalle for the federal garden festival in Mannheim or the Downland Museum, have been the result of a creative–generative process that indissolubly ‘welded’ the structural contribution to that of form exploration. The challenging design and construction issues have been typically addressed and resolved in several inventive ways. However, still now, form-finding and erection of timber gridshells present many difficulties. In this regard, this paper aims to provide a series of novel steps to address some of the main design and construction issues that are associated with ‘actively-bent’ timber gridshell structures. First, the main characteristics of the construction process of timber gridshells are described and the basic theoretical concepts for its numerical simulation, through Dynamic Relaxation method, are introduced. Second, a practical method for sizing the laths' cross-section is presented. Third, a new erection technique for timber gridshells is proposed and applied to the construction of a full scale (prototype) structure, the Toledo gridshell 2.0. Fourth, a new bracing system for the same structure, which was built at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Naples Federico II in June–July 2014, is explained and discussed. The paper also highlights the need for further application to validate the techniques explained here, with particular attention being paid for the construction of large scale free-form structures.