
BALANCING ACT
30th January – 24th February 2023
AIA NC Center for Architecture and Design
14E Peace Street, Raleigh,NC 27604, USA
An object is in equilibrium when it balances out the external forces acting on it with the internal forces, following Newton’s laws of motion . Even when this equilibrium is disturbed like by pulling and releasing a node in a net, this equilibrium is restored, and the node returns to its initial position. The works exhibited here concern networks comprised of many interconnected flexible, semi-flexible or rigid elements. The way in which the individual elements are connected (i.e, .their topology) and the collective shape they constitute, determine how the global network responds to external loading. This exhibition is structured in three parts. The first part focuses on efficient equilibrium shapes for tensile nets and inverted compressive nets with linear elements. The second part introduces shape-shifting flexible networks that are metastable and inspired by the handcraft of lace. The third part focuses on how domes and vaults, composed of rigid volumetric elements, can be assembled without any external supports. Enjoy the balancing acts!
Sigrid Adriaenssens
Inverted Net Shell, 2009 In*Tension Networks, 2021 – present Self-Balancing Dome, 2023
Costa Surface in AIA NC Center Net node trajectory pulled & released, 2023 Minimal Costa Surface, 2017
Endangered Torchon Lace Handicraft Roseground Lace, 2021 Bigon Network, 2021 – present Bending-Active Tensioned Network, 2013 Balancing Acts in AIA Center Balancing Acts in AIA Center
Inverted Net Shell, 2006 Self-Balancing Dome, 2023 Endangered Torchon Lace Handicraft
Exhibition Designer
Orsolya Gaspar
Vicky Chow
Graphic Designer
Shawn Protz
Yash Shah
Exhibition Coordinator
Joel Pominville
Amy Somogy
Shawn Protz
Yash Shah
Mack Carter
Support
AIA Triangle Chapter
North Carolina State University
Princeton University
Lab
Form Finding Lab
Collaborators
Bill Baker, Mike Barnes, Alessandro Beghini, Lauren Dreier, Janet Echelman, Stefano Gabriele, Veronika Irvine, Erika Kiss, Rebecca Lazier, Francesco Marmo, Laurent Ney, Carlo Olivieri, Stefana Parascho, Vittorio Paris, Ruy Pauletti, Tyler Sprague, Chris Williams
Poster Design
Axel Larsson
edited by Erika Kiss