Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) partnered with the MAK Center for Art and Architecture on an exhibition that explores the intersection of art, engineering, and architecture. Set in the historic Schindler House in West Hollywood, Calif., Poetic Structure: Art + Engineering + Architecture highlights several projects the firm has developed with world renowned artists and architects, and similarities that exist between artistic, architectural, and structural design.
A SOM-designed pavilion is one of the centerpieces of the exhibition. It’s a one-of-a-kind, portable, 27-foot-long, kinematic outdoor pavilion made of hinged wood panels. SOM engineer Toby Mitchell came up with the idea for the structure after reviewing research Professor Tomohiro Tachi of the University of Tokyo is doing into “rigid origami.” The idea — implemented by a team from multiple SOM offices in the U.S. and internationally — was to create a structure that can be transformed into various configurations with minimal human effort and without deforming the individual panels.