Architecture

EPFL scientists have studied the unique features of the decorative vaulting known as muqarnas in Spain’s Alhambra palace and fortress complex. Muqarnas are commonly found in Islamic architecture, yet they are poorly understood by the architectural community and the little data that exist on them have been simplified over time. The EPFL study firmly anchors the Alhambra’s wonders in our world heritage.

With the help of artificial intelligence and four collaborative robots, researchers at ETH Zurich are designing and fabricating a 22.5-metre-tall green architectural sculpture.

Buildings that own and run themselves: this idea, from the think-tank Dezentrum, was put into action for the first time at ETH Zurich in the form of a prototype. The result is a meditation cabin that shakes up the usual economic and social expectations.

The Artificial Swissness exhibit – a larger than life-sized “design brain” developed by EPFL’s Media x Design Lab (LDM) – is currently on display at the Seoul Biennale for Architecture and Urbanism, which runs until 31 October 2021. This high-tech machine can generate a virtually infinite number of architectural images of Swiss Alpine cabins.

Valerio Piazza is creating new 3D architectures built from an inventive form of nanowire. His research aims to push the boundaries of miniaturization and pave the way to more powerful electronic devices. He has just won the 2020 Piaget Scientific Award, whose prize money will fund his work at EPFL for a year.