Heinz Isler's Infinite Spectrum: Formfinding in Design
Heinz Isler's Infinite Spectrum: Formfinding in Design Heinz Isler's Infinite Spectrum: Formfinding in Design
John Chilton Heinz Isler (1926–2009), the Swiss designer renowned for his shell structures, was extraordinary for his innovative and exacting work. He directly produced physical models by hand in order to not only create design prototypes, but also to generate scaledup measurements for construction. John Chilton describes how Isler successfully applied the principle of the inverted catenary arch, which was fi rst pioneered by Robert Hooke in Sir Christopher Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral in the 17th century, to thin membrane structures in three dimensions. Heinz Isler, Deitingen Süd Service Station, Flumenthal, Switzerland, 1968 These graceful synclastic forms are, for most of their area, just 90 millimetres (3.54 inches) thick and have no edge beams. 65 6
Heinz Isler below: Heinz Isler (1926–2009), designer of innovative free-form shells and structural artist, photographed at his studio in Lyssachschachen, near Burgdorf, Switzerland, in August 2003. 66 6 Heinz Isler, ‘Natural hills on different edge lines’, 1959 right: Isler’s own sketch of 39 ‘Natural hills on different edge lines’ in his paper ‘New Shapes for Shells’ presented to the fi rst congress of the International Association for Shell Structures (IASS), in September 1959, shows possible shapes for shells and hints at the infi nite spectrum of further forms.
- Page 1: 64 HEINZ ISLER’S INFINITE SPECTRU
- Page 5 and 6: Heinz Isler, Wyss Garden Centre, So
- Page 7 and 8: 70 Heinz Isler, Model for Sicli SA
John Chilton<br />
<strong>He<strong>in</strong>z</strong> Isler (1926–2009), the Swiss designer renowned<br />
for his shell structures, was extraord<strong>in</strong>ary for his<br />
<strong>in</strong>novative and exact<strong>in</strong>g work. He directly produced<br />
physical models by hand <strong>in</strong> order to not only create<br />
design prototypes, but also to generate scaledup<br />
measurements for construction. John Chilton<br />
describes how Isler successfully applied the pr<strong>in</strong>ciple of<br />
the <strong>in</strong>verted catenary arch, which was fi rst pioneered<br />
by Robert Hooke <strong>in</strong> Sir Christopher Wren’s St Paul’s<br />
Cathedral <strong>in</strong> the 17th century, to th<strong>in</strong> membrane<br />
structures <strong>in</strong> three dimensions.<br />
<strong>He<strong>in</strong>z</strong> Isler, Deit<strong>in</strong>gen<br />
Süd Service Station,<br />
Flumenthal,<br />
Switzerland, 1968<br />
These graceful synclastic<br />
forms are, for most<br />
of their area, just 90<br />
millimetres (3.54<br />
<strong>in</strong>ches) thick and have<br />
no edge beams.<br />
65 6
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