Panels drying in the studio.

Morning sun on the drying panels

The new hexagonal tile pattern.

A nice detail of the folding, twisting forms

Detail of a crease. Notice the surface texture left by the fabric form.

Matsys was commissioned by SFMoMA to produce a wall installation for the upcoming exhibition Sensate: Bodies and Design. After many months of research and prototyping, production on the final wall began in early May and is nearly complete. At the moment, all of the panels have been cast and we are just waiting for them to fully dry. Check back soon for more images of the final installation.

Oblique View

Front Elevation

Side View

Transformation of image into constraint points through the use of custom rhinoscript

Year: 2006
Location: Banvard Gallery, Knowlton School of Architecture, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Size: 15′ x 9′ x 1′

Description: This project investigates the self-organization of two materials, plaster and elastic fabric, to produce evocative visual and acoustic effects. Inspired by the work of the Spanish architect Miguel Fisac and his experiments with flexible concrete formwork in the 1960-70s, p_wall attempts to continue this line of research and add to it the ability to generate larger and more differentiated patterns. Starting from an image, a cloud of points is generated based on the image’s grayscale values. These points are then used to mark the positions of dowels which constrain the elasticity in the fabric formwork. Plaster is then poured into the mould and the fabric expands under the weight of the plaster. The resultant plaster tile has a certain resonance with the body as it sags, expands, and stretches in its own relationship with gravity and structure. Assembled into a larger surface, a pattern emerges between the initial image’s grayscale tones and the shadows produced by the wall.

Team: Andrew Kudless and Ivan Vukcevich with Ryan Palider, Zak Snider, Austin Poe, Camie Vacha, Cassie Matthys, Christopher Friend, Nicholas Cesare, Anthony Rodriguez, Mark Wendell, Joel Burke, Brandon Hendrick, Chung-tzu Yeh, Doug Stechschultze, Gene Shevchenko, Kyu Chun, Nick Munoz, and Sabrina Sierawski, and Ronnie Parsons

Kobe, 1998

Kyoto, 1998

Osaka, 1998

Kita-ku Kyoto, 1998

Osaka tower, 1998

Year: 1998
Location: Kansai Region, Japan

Description: This project began as a documentary exploration of contemporary Japanese urban form, specifically the rapid life-cycle of buildings. The use of fabric screens during the construction or demolition of buildings was researched as a sign of numerous Japanese architectural, economic, and social conditions. Over a course of nine days, the three cities of Kyoto, Kobe, and Osaka were documented for their quantity of these screens resulting in over 300 photographic sites. Through a series of smaller projects, issues involving the technology and logistics of the screens, their abstract aesthetic form, and their potential as public works of art were explored.