Looking Outwards – 02

Michael Hansmeyer is an architect who specializes in computational design. His projects range from entire theatre sets to very detailed lighting designs that are entirely visualized by a computer. I admire Hansmeyer’s work because it allows him to think of his architecture as a set of processes to generate objects. One example is his work on the set for Mozart’s opera in 2018. In this stage set he focuses on a grotto design in which the idea is created by the computer after he defines a set of processes the computer needs to go through to create a design. The algorithm he uses is within a CAD program where he can set rules and limits for the computer to follow. Within these CAD programs there’s some limits in what can be designed by the computer and the amount of information the designer has to give the program initially. As a result the artist’s sensibilities manifest in the outcome of the computer’s processes. This makes his work have a unique character that not only describes the computer’s abilities but also Hansmeyer’s creative bias.
Link: https://www.michael-hansmeyer.com/zauberfloete

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