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Reiser + Umemoto, Kansai National Diet Library (competition): Site plan, 1997. AP177 RUR Architecture records, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. Gift of RUR Architecture. © RUR Architecture |
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R&Sie(n), Water Flux (unbuilt) : Rendering of the structure, 2003. AP193 R&Sie(n) records, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. Gift of New-Territories/R&Sie(n) by Francois Roche, Stéphanie Lavaux. © New-Territories/R&Sie(n) by Francois Roche, Stéphanie Lavaux |
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Zaha Hadid Architects, Phaeno Science Center: Space frame, 2001. AP195 Zaha Hadid records, Canadian Centre for Architecture. Montreal.Gift of Zaha Hadid Foundation. © Zaha Hadid Foundation |
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OCEAN North, Jyväskylä Music and Arts Center (competition): Flow rendering, 1997. AP194 OCEAN North records, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. Gift of Johan Bettum and Kivi Sotamaa. © OCEAN North |
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Zaha Hadid Architects, Phaeno Science Center: Rendered view, 2001. AP195 Zaha Hadid records, Canadian Centre for Architecture. Montreal.Gift of Zaha Hadid Foundation. © Zaha Hadid Foundation |
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Kolatan/Mac Donald Studio, O/K Apartment: Screen capture of a 3D Microstation model, 1995. AP185 KOL/MAC records, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. Gift of KOL/MAC. © KOL/MAC |
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Cloud 9, Villa Nurbs: Photograph of southwest façade by Luis Ros, 2009. AP186 Cloud 9 records, Canadian Centre for Architecture. Montreal. Gift of Enric Ruiz Geli. © Enric Ruiz Geli/Cloud 9 |
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Foreign Office Architects, Yokohama International Port Terminal: Schematic rendering, 1995. AP171 Foreign Office Architects fonds, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. Gift of Farshid Moussavi and Alejandro Zaera-Polo. © Farshid Moussavi and Alejandro Zaera-Polo |
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Preston Scott Cohen, Eyebeam Atelier Museum (competition); Left: screen capture of Rhinoceros 3D file, 2001; Right: Visualization by KDLAB, 2001 © Preston Scott Cohen |
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COOP HIMMELB(L)AU, BMW Welt: Photograph of model, 2004. AP181 COOP HIMMELB(L)AU records, Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. Gift of COOP HIMMELB(L)AU. © COOP HIMMELB(L)AU |
Archaeology of the Digital: Complexity and Convention, the third show curated by Greg Lynn at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, explores the digital origins of 15 projects by world-renowned architects including Zaha Hadid, Office dA and Morphosis.
Third time’s the charm. Archaeology of the Digital: Complexity and Convention is the Canadian Centre for Architecture’s third show about theory and design in the first digital age. Guest curated by Greg Lynn, and running until October 16, 2016, the exhibition traces early attempts to use digital tools to move towards a new architecture.
R&Sie(n), Water Flux (unbuilt) rendering, 2003 © New-Territories/R&Sie(n) by Francois Roche, Stéphanie Lavaux
Designed by Jonathan Hares, the show is up to the CCA’s impeccable standards – but with a twist. The work is divided up by themes. This makes it difficult sometimes to figure out what you’re looking at (is it a school? an airplane? a speculative fictional project?), but Lynn hopes the device inspires visitors to confront the four elements of digital architecture: parametric modeling, design algorithms, digital fabrication, and robotics.
The first show, in 2013, emphasized architects who adapted commercial software for design and construction. Part two, in 2014, focused on media environments and interactive design. This third phase showcases large-scale buildings, represented by early tours-de-force of rapid prototyping, extraordinary drawings, and intriguing data visualizations. A digital book project, planned to accompany the show, is expected to be in print and online by the end of the year.
Zaha Hadid Architects, Phaeno Science Center: Space frame, 2001 © Zaha Hadid Foundation
Archaeology of the Digital is also an important curation of architectural celebrity. The 15 projects included are from Zaha Hadid, Office dA, Neil M. Denari, Peter Kulka with Ulrich Königs, Kolatan/MacDonald Studio, Van Berkel & Bos, Cloud 9, Testa & Weiser, OCEAN North, Morphosis, Reiser + Umemoto, Preston Scott Cohen, R&Sie(n), Foreign Office Architects, and Coop Himmelb(l)au. How’s that for a lineup?
Cloud 9, Villa Nurbs by Enric Ruiz Geli: Photograph of southwest façade by Luis Ros, 2009 © Enric Ruiz Geli/Cloud 9
The show’s true goal, however, is about curating digital architecture. More than a decade ago, Lynn urged the CCA to reflect on ways to collect, archive, and display digital materials. Archaeology of the Digital celebrates the fact that the CCA has now archived twenty-five projects from pioneers of the digital movement and can now begin to make them available to researchers.
