ARCH 655 Project1

Taichung Metropolitan Opera House

Architect:   Toyo Ito

               Site:           Taichung, Taiwan

         Function:   Opera House

Toyo Ito & Associates designed an outstanding architecture, which is notable for curved and folded interior shape, in Taichung, Taiwan. The main design was based on a mathematical process, in which Grasshopper and several plug-ins were utilized, and they created the organic shape architecture.

                                                      

Modeling Process

                      *1

                                

With Physics Engine

Comparing two models, with and without the physics engine, I figured out that the architect might not utilize the physics engine for this building's design, because the curved surfaces without the physics engine were much more similar to the original design. Even though I adjusted the stiffness of the mesh to get a more curvy shape, the result was not similar enough. Considering the structural aspect of the building, however, the curved surfaces with the physics engine should be reasonable. 

Analysis

Curvature without the physics engine

Curvature with the physics engine

Draft angle without the physics engine

Draft angle with the physics engine

Citation

 *1.  https://www.archdaily.com/796428/toyo-itos-taichung-metropolitan-opera-house- photographed-by-lucas-k-doolan