Set to be published by Phaidon next month, Bubbletecture features more than 200 examples of inflatable architecture and design from the 1960s to the present day.
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Inflatable architecture and design showcased in new book Bubbletecture
Set to be published by Phaidon next month, Bubbletecture features more than 200 examples of inflatable architecture and design from the 1960s to the present day.
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I really enjoy the unique aesthetic that these “bubbletecture” projects have. It’s like taking the idea of floaties or bouncy houses and turning it into something that’s both useful and artistic. My favorite one that’s in the article would be the “Homogenising and Transforming World” by TeamLab, whose orbs have sensors that respond to touch by shifting colors. I think I really like this one because I have a love for interactive and immersive environments, and the wonder they bring. The last one that they show I doesn’t really seem to fit as well with the other ones. While the others rely on air to keep their forms, this one was just constructed with the help of air, but it’s not like one would be able to make it deflate, as it’s material is steel. Either way, it’s an interesting piece. If you search Google, there are a lot more examples of inflatable architecture that are a lot more impressive and complicated than the ones provided in the article, and I’m curious if the popularity of this kind of structure will grow.
Wow these pieces are gorgeous. I love the whimsical and playful feel that inflatable architecture gives a structure. It seems like a really easy way to make responsive buildings that have the flexibility to change with the changing climate. It seems to resemble biomimicry with its ability to adapt like organic things. With our current understanding of architecture, the idea that a building can move and change itself without using more resources and actually being economically friendly is unbelievable. I can only imagine what it’s like to see a wall moving to adapt with its environment. It must look like it’s breathing and living. My only question is this: what happens if it pops? I know from experience that when a pool float pops, it loses all structural integrity and is almost irreparable. If a whole wall pops, what happens? I would assume there are backup measures, but I also can see the repair being extremely expensive and insanely difficult. You’d have to replace a whole unit or find a way of patching that is strong enough for a large project.
Wow these structures are so awesome the size and form are something that I can’t ever imagine in any other kind of structure. I find it so interesting that most of these structures are being created by purely architectural firms in the Northern Europe. Along with being in city landscapes is very interesting as I feel that the sweet spot for these kinds structures would be the festival or temporary nature in expansive areas. The other interesting thing about this is the adaptability and the nature in which these structure respond and move with the temperature and how they can be adapted through time. I’d really love to see one of these up close and personal to see the structural rigidity and how quickly they are constructed once they are put together. I see them kind of how we have our paint booth here at CMU I wonder what other kinds of temporary structures you could create reasonably in this manner.
I really enjoy art that isn’t always dissected for a greater meaning it is just aesthetically beautiful and is something that brings a smile to people’s faces because it is pretty. I also appreciate that these structures are using environmentally sensitive equipment and renewable energy sources to self-regulate and reduce carbon emissions. I was also just kind of shocked with the figure that came with the structure in Denmark that could be fully inflated in just seven minutes. I think that the use of light in all of these is really beautiful and the TeamLab installation that is made immersive and interactive by responding to the interactor by shifting color is equally incredible. I am genuinely in awe by all of there designs. I appreciate that they all feel unified in their general aesthetics, but each of them uses different technologies and materials to make them immersive, environmentally responsive, and experimental.
I think it is incredible what these architects, honestly artists, are doing with an idea that most people associate with children or the past, but definitely not sophisticated, beautiful, and smart designs. I didn’t even know inflatable architecture was a thing until I read this article. My favorite part about this article is how these architects are using a relatively simple idea and adding so much technology and thought into it that they are creating amazing things. I love the piece called Homogenising and Transforming World because it uses smart technology with these giant inflatable orbs to explore the idea of humans being interconnected which is so innovative. My favorite piece though was the Nawa Pavilion in Poland because it using inflated steel which I had absolutely no clue was a thing at all. The end result is beautiful and I would love to see it in person. I just really wonder what it feels like; does it feel like an inflatable or steel? Or Both? What would both even feel like? I am just so intrigued by this. These pieces are all inspiring because the architects are doing completely creative and unexpected things with something I thought I knew the limitations of.
This article highlights just a few of the ways in which modern architecture, art installations, public spaces, and even furniture are incorporating inflatable technology. In Basic Design, Susan often talks about the “it-ness of the thing,” which I think is incredibly relevant here. The surface, transparency, and finish of the material used in these inflatable pieces is of the utmost importance in the overall effect of the product given the nature of these types of structures. For example, the clear vinyl-like chair cushion shown in the article conveys a very different feeling from the nearly opaque solid white material of the Skum piece. They also offer a wide range of possibilities of this inflatable architecture for both practical and aesthetic purposes; every example given in the article was completely unique from the others. I have seen some instances of this technology in my own awareness of recent art and architecture, including TeamLab’s bubble installations. I am looking forward to being surprised by even more uses of inflatable technology in the future.
I love the trend that seems to pop up every couple years when it comes to inflatable architecture. Personally, I love the simple modern lines that naturally come with the aesthetic and the absence of clear structure and harsh angles that distract the eye from the bubbles. Overall this article really accomplished what it was trying to do, show off a rising trend. The format was affective with having five images accompanied by short paragraphs that tell me where the installation is and what it is trying to accomplish. I do wish that the site gave us a couple more pictures of each installation so that we could see this dynamic architecture from more than one view. I would love to see more artwork like this because I think it is inherently fun, and it can help everyone remember their times as a child with balloons, and inflatable bounce houses that produce such positive memories.
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