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New Harmony Grotto
New Harmony Grotto
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Other Projects by METALAB
New Harmony Grotto
Firm
With the expanding wave of contemporary
architecture inspired and informed by biomorphic design and biomimetic
processes, the re-evaluation of work of Frederick Kiesler has become immanent. Throughout the mid 20th century he
became increasingly interested in the relationship of natural form and
structure to architectural space and organization. The Grotto for Meditation proposed in 1963
for New Harmony,
Indiana commissioned by Mrs.
Jane Blaffer-Owen was the culmination of his life’s work. Though the project was not realized, it
embodies all of the influences of his time from surrealism to biology and
cybernetic theory. Through our
university and the Blaffer Foundation, we engaged in formal research and
tectonic resolution of the project employing digital modeling and fabrication
technologies at our College and in Houston
where Mrs. Owen lives when she is not in New Harmony. We based this project on the full catalog of
archival material made available to us with support from the Blaffer and Kielser
Foundations. Our exploration also was
influenced by discussions with Mrs. Blaffer-Owen who is still very interested
in realizing this profoundly interesting and enigmatic project. Our university has opened the door to the
opportunity that our reinterpreted Grotto become a permanent fixture on the
campus next to a wetland landscape that it is currently under
construction. Our research into Kiesler
has engaged his esoteric concepts of “co-realism” and “continuous tension” as
well as his early use of recursive geometry and biomorphic form in design. From reverse engineering and digital
fabrication via 3D scanning to generative structural articulation, we are
experimenting with a structural/spatial system that closely aligns with
Kiesler’s originally proposed tile patterning dilated into a minimal structure. Our prototypes and the final version will be
fabricated by one of the largest commercially for-hire water jet cutter in
country and assembled on the site.
architecture inspired and informed by biomorphic design and biomimetic
processes, the re-evaluation of work of Frederick Kiesler has become immanent. Throughout the mid 20th century he
became increasingly interested in the relationship of natural form and
structure to architectural space and organization. The Grotto for Meditation proposed in 1963
for New Harmony,
Indiana commissioned by Mrs.
Jane Blaffer-Owen was the culmination of his life’s work. Though the project was not realized, it
embodies all of the influences of his time from surrealism to biology and
cybernetic theory. Through our
university and the Blaffer Foundation, we engaged in formal research and
tectonic resolution of the project employing digital modeling and fabrication
technologies at our College and in Houston
where Mrs. Owen lives when she is not in New Harmony. We based this project on the full catalog of
archival material made available to us with support from the Blaffer and Kielser
Foundations. Our exploration also was
influenced by discussions with Mrs. Blaffer-Owen who is still very interested
in realizing this profoundly interesting and enigmatic project. Our university has opened the door to the
opportunity that our reinterpreted Grotto become a permanent fixture on the
campus next to a wetland landscape that it is currently under
construction. Our research into Kiesler
has engaged his esoteric concepts of “co-realism” and “continuous tension” as
well as his early use of recursive geometry and biomorphic form in design. From reverse engineering and digital
fabrication via 3D scanning to generative structural articulation, we are
experimenting with a structural/spatial system that closely aligns with
Kiesler’s originally proposed tile patterning dilated into a minimal structure. Our prototypes and the final version will be
fabricated by one of the largest commercially for-hire water jet cutter in
country and assembled on the site.
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