Architropism Brings Environmentally Responsive Movement to Traditional Cultural Forms

Sustainable architecture often draws inspiration from the natural world to justify new biomorphic and complex geometries. In contrast, Architropism proposes an alternative solution, asking how we can design the architectural forms that have defined our civilizations to be technologically and environmentally savvy. How can we instill a 21st century technical relevance to the forms that are so deeply connected with how we understand the built environment?

The hypostyle halls of the Grand Mosque of Cordoba are an example of Islamic architecture that also evoke the feeling of being in nature. Indian poet Muhammad Iqbal described Cordoba as “countless pillars like rows of palm trees in the oases of Syria.”

Within Architropism a field of arched colonnades ranging in height from 18m–25m move and re-orient themselves to directly respond to nature. The idea of “tropism”—the turning of natural organisms in response to an external stimulus—demonstrates how the artwork reacts to the environment in three ways.

The first is anemotropism—the reorientation of organisms in response to the wind. Inside the top layers of the arches on each column are 12 vertical-axis wind turbines. The arches at the top rotate to face the wind to create the most advantageous conditions for energy generation.

The second is heliotropism—the motion of flowers or leaves in response to the direction of the sun. The columns of Architropism are placed on a grid that directly curves and follows the sun’s path to allow the ground plane of the site to receive the most shade possible from the arches, creating an ever-changing environment.

The third is anthrotropism—a term coined to describe an anthropological type of tropism. Each column on the site contains different types of base capitals that encourage visitors to generate power themselves through playground merry-go-rounds, benches, tables, amphitheaters, sunken spaces for solitude, stages, and more that are directly controlled by the users. By turning these pieces like one winds a watch to keep time, an underground gear is engaged, storing the energy, which powers all of the architectural elements on the site.

LAGI 2019 is sponsored by Masdar and is held in partnership with the 24th World Energy Congress.