Shape-shifting Structures
29 Jun 2017
Foldable and functional is the new “it” in innovative designs.
By Kerstin Lieff Mythology has a term, shape-shifter. It’s the ability to magically transform oneself into something completely new. A frog becomes a prince; a field becomes a circus. Some have wondered if structures could do the same thing: transform and function in a completely different shape. Architects thinking outside the box (or inside it, if you will) are creating shape-shifting designs that transform as if by magic. Here are examples from around the world.Pod House
The Sharifi-ha House in Tehran, whose construction was restricted by its narrow urban footprint, unfolds with the seasons. Three of the home’s rooms, or “pods,” can rotate 90 degrees to open up views and terraces in summer, and rotate back to a horizontal position to keep the house warm in the cold winter months. The architect, Alireza Taghaboni, employed foldable balustrades that tilt up or down as the pods rotate to accomplish the changeable façade.Dynamic Sports Park


Shape-Shifter Home

Country Cottage


Open House

Furniture That Flattens

