Parametricism

パラメトリシズム / 2008– / Style / Modern Architecture

A style that relates every element continuously through parameters and organizes architecture as flowing surface and gradient change. Schumacher named it, and the work of Zaha Hadid Architects became its demonstration.

Parametricism — Zaha Hadid, London Aquatics Centre (CC BY-SA 4.0) · © Ank Kumar
Zaha Hadid, London Aquatics Centre (CC BY-SA 4.0) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · © Ank Kumar
Parametricism — Galaxy SOHO, Beijing (CC BY-SA 4.0) · © HoweyYuan
Galaxy SOHO, Beijing (CC BY-SA 4.0) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · © HoweyYuan
Parametricism — ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2016–17 (University of Stuttgart) — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 · © MSeses
ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2016–17 (University of Stuttgart) — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · © MSeses

At a glance

Visual cues

  • Continuous curved surfaces
  • Gradient variation
  • Mutually adapting elements
  • The absence of right angles

Best used for

  • Varying a large building envelope continuously in response to environmental conditions
  • Changing corridor width and ceiling height smoothly along crowd flow

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Dictionary entry

Type
Run signage along the curved surface, spacing letters to the local curvature
Composition
Drop axes and separate zones by gradients of density and direction
Material
Assume no two moulds repeat and fix the buildable range first
Caution
Take the parametric correlation between elements as the definition rather than quoting curved form alone. When deformation becomes the goal, no parameter can be explained and only the cost of building rises.
Further study
Patrik Schumacher / Zaha Hadid / the lineage of computational design

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https://indexstyle.org/styles/parametricism
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