Stalactite is a spatial artifact inspired by the “Dismemberment” series by Anish Kapoor. It is simultaneously unimaginably large yet human scale, each tendril relating itself to a human being while the aggregation of them creates an incredible spatial experience. The rules, established by Kapoor’s work and implemented in my own, involve establishing boundaries, creating points within that space, and randomly interpolating shapes between the points. The results are dynamic, curvilinear forms that extend into space in a decentralized, distributed field.

 

Walking among the tendrils creates a sense of awe and wonder, with the composition appearing different when viewed from various angles and elevations. This experience of perspective and vantage points inspired the concept of my subsequent museum design, which seeks to set up meaningful views of the artifacts from a multitude of perspectives, so that the incredible artifacts can be fully experienced from every angle.

 

The National Building Museum (NBM) hosts a large-scale spatial exhibit every summer in their great hall. Stalactite is the perfect summer exhibit for the NBM. It is accessible to all ages, and the tendrils can even be navigated via wheelchair. It evokes wonder and curiosity, drawing people in when they see it from afar and enveloping them as they approach. While it fits in the cavernous great hall of the NBM, it can be scaled to fit any space, or the boundary surfaces can change to adapt to new spaces. The parametric rules that create the geometry are easily customizable that way, making Stalactite a versatile exhibit. 

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