BLObitecture – a free-flowing, soft, and organic form of architecture created using 3D modelling software and an abundance of imagination.
In 1995, American-born architect Greg Lynn came up with the term while experimenting with software. In wavefront modelling, BLOB was the acronym for Binary Large Object-spheres that could be gathered to form large composite forms. It came into the limelight after being used as a derogatory remark by William Safire in a New York Times article in 2002.
It is not just imagination and 3D modelling that can propel the cart of building making, but the evolution of materials and technological advancements in architectural design, enabling the hands-on experience of such structures. The major cultural facilities that use steel and glass as significant construction materials are auditoriums, theatres, museums, and other cultural establishments that depart from residential or other secluded spaces due to the invasion of privacy. The efficacy of these materials allows for a smooth construction process, which results in a flashy built form.
SOME BLOBITECTURE MARVELS FOUND IN THE WORLD
METROPOL PARASOL,SPAIN
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
The mushroom-shaped building was built in 2011 by J Mayer H Architects in Seville, Spain. As a result of its name, the mushroom is called La Encarnacion de Las Setas in Spanish, which means the incarnation of mushroom. Blobitecture has the world's largest timber structure with a 26m high tower. Ficus trees inspire the parasols in the nearby plaza and the vaults of the neighbouring cathedral, both of which Meyer shared.
Further, the construction technique incorporates a unique glue bonding technology that holds all the joints together with special glue discovered before the building was constructed. From the terrace level, it offers an aerial view of the city, which serves as a focal point for the city.
SAGE GATESHEAD, UK
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
Located in Gateshead on the south bank of the Tyne in northeast England, Sage Gateshead is a fine example of blobitecture and a concert venue. Since its opening in 2004, North Music Trust has provided music education to enthusiasts. Foster and Partners designed the grand performing space, using steel and glass as the primary building materials. Specifically, porous concrete is used with a higher air capacity than usual to enhance the acoustic properties, which is a mandatory feature for any such structure. Three performing halls with varying degrees are enclosed within a steel glass organic exoskeleton.
KUNSTHAUS GRAZ,AUSTRIA
SOURCE WIKIPEDIA
Since 2003, this innovative and provocative design by Colin Fournier and Sir Peter Cook has graced the cultural capital of Europe - Austria with its blobitecture. Because of its contrasting design with the surroundings, it is described as a Friendly Alien. Its outer skin is made up of iridescent blue acrylic panels that also act as photovoltaic cells. A fusion of architecture and media takes place on the eastern facade with 930 fluorescent lights embedded in an acrylic glass skin illuminating the facade and serving as a display for animations and films.
SELFRIDGES BUILDING, UK
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
The Selfridges building, which houses the Selfridges department store, was completed by Future Systems in 2003 as a catalyst for Birmingham's urban renewal. It has a steel framework, a sprayed concrete blue façade, and 15,000 anodized aluminium discs mounted on its façade, making it an iconic landmark in the city. In sunlight, the structure's skin reflects minute weather changes and resembles the scales of a snake.
MUSEO SOUMAYA, MEXICO
SOURCE: https://www.cntraveler.com/activities/mexico-city/museo-soumaya
This 46m tall building designed by Mexican architect Fernando Romero and engineered by Ove Arup and Frank Gehry is a private museum in Mexico City named after its founder's wife, Soumaya Domit. It houses a personal collection of nearly 70,000 artworks. Since 2011, it has been a focal point of plaza carso. In the same way as other Gehry masterpieces, this one is clad with 16,000 hexagonal aluminium tiles influenced by his love for metal. The rotation of this rhomboid structure supports a six-story building supported by 28 vertical curved steel columns that form seven circular rings.