As I
stated in the previous post, the process of design and fabrication that leads
up to a final 'skeletonized' form is a costly exercise with questionable gains
on all but large parts. So what about the large parts?
In art,
architecture and engineering, skeletal forms on a large scale are commonplace
because they offer the potential for greatly reduced costs, reduced material
usage, and shorter fabrication times. On a larger scale, the skeletal structure
or form can be created through the assembly of smaller elements (bones, if you
will) integrated into a larger system complete with the ample negative spaces
that indicate a skeletonized form. Compare this to the relatively small forms
of knives or watches in the previous post- these objects are small enough that
attempting to assemble a skeletal structure from components would compromise
design, create a need for many small fasteners or welds, and very likely lead
to a device that is structurally weaker overall.
Skeletal
forms in contemporary sculpture and architecture have their origins in
modernism and material science. Once the ornamental facades and unnecessary
elements were removed, the fundamental forms that remained indicated structure
and functionality more than anything else. The 'bones' of the building became
the focus, with final shapes looking very much like the construction elements
of wood or metal framing, before sheathing, siding, etc. is added.
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Open Cubes (1991) by Sol Lewitt
(photo: Lauren Manning)
|
Advances
in design and engineering theory over the centuries meant that construction
could move away from heavy, stacked, solid forms and toward lightweight,
tensile, open forms. Gains in manufacturing processes of steel, glass, and
plastics simultaneously allowed for and encouraged skeletal structures as
architects developed new visual language, partly growing out of a fascination
with newly available material technologies. Technology, as much as aesthetic
philosophy, set the stage for modern design principles.
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| Eiffel Tower under construction, 1888 |
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