The proposal to design a moving structure is a very fascinating one, not only because it challenges matter but also because it allows the spectator to perceive the space differently.
Calder’s work reveals a very subtle interpretation of kinetics.He manages to create a system and subsystems all dependent on the simple effect of rotation around axes. The result is an elegant composition, constantly searching for its balance.
In architecture, apart from the use of retractable roofs, applying kinetics to architectural needs is something not often explored. It was only in 2001 that two kinetic works were completed, Calatrava’s Milwaukee Art Museum (Wisconsin, US - 1994-2001), which used the movement of louvers in order to shade the reception area and Wilkinson Eyre in the Millennium Bridge (Gateshed,UK - 1997-2001), making the bridge as a whole kinetic in order to allow boats to pass.
With the access to open source software and single-board microcontroller technology is becoming more available to test kinetics at other architecture levels, often seen through installations tackling mobility and responsiveness.
dantas | reche's interpretation on Calder's work took forward his notions of equilibrium, hierarchy, elegance and motion into creating an intricate component based structure, that once triggered generates combined and sequential movements. The result embeds a ‘gestalt effect’ where components become secondary towards the recognition of the whole.