This study attempts an empirical investigation into whether forms generated through topological optimization remain as purely core forms (Kernform) or whether the intervention of art forms (Kunstform) is inevitable, based on the tectonic theory of 19t...
This study attempts an empirical investigation into whether forms generated through topological optimization remain as purely core forms (Kernform) or whether the intervention of art forms (Kunstform) is inevitable, based on the tectonic theory of 19th-century architectural theorist Karl Bötticher and its modern reinterpretation by Mitchell Schwarzer. Schwarzer's interpretation of Bötticher’s tectonic theory understands architecture through a dichotomous framework of core forms and art forms. Core forms are defined by structural necessity, material properties, and social demands, while art forms encompass aesthetic intention, autonomy, and symbolic meaning. This study employs this theoretical framework to analyze how topologically optimized forms are completed through their respective processes.
The case study centers on the 2016 research project from ETH Zurich, 3D-Printed Stay-in-Place Formwork for Topologically Optimized Concrete Slabs, closely examining the stages of digital design and physical design processes. The digital design process involves initial design configuration, finite element analysis (FEA), and iterative topological optimization, which collectively yield forms that satisfy structural demands. However, the resulting forms, fundamentally composed of discrete elements—pixels in 2D or voxels in 3D—undergo transformation during the physical design process. To achieve smooth surfaces, algorithms such as Catmull-Clark and Loop Subdivision were selectively applied, revealing that the use of these algorithms was driven by not only structural necessities but also aesthetic judgment or preference.
This study demonstrates empirically that, contrary to the expectation that topologically optimized forms would remain purely core forms, the transition from the digital design process to the physical design process necessitates the intervention of art forms. This finding highlights that both technological logic and the architect’s aesthetic intentions and autonomy continue to play critical roles in the creation of architectural forms. This conclusion challenges the prevailing paradigm that topologically optimized forms must result in specific aesthetic outcomes and instead suggests the possibility of their flexible transformation according to the architect's intent. Furthermore, the study reveals that even forms generated through digital technologies involve artistic judgment, emphasizing the logical necessity and proactive assertion of the architect's aesthetic intentions in shaping such forms.