Book Description

The Curved Space Structure, designed by Peter Jon Pearce, is derived from a comprehensive study of structure in nature, with a special interest in the geometry of atomic assemblies in crystals and patterns found in biomorphic form. This study was pursued with the aim of understanding the unity of formative principles exhibited by natural structure through spatial geometry. Nature universally manifests a principle of least energy where form can be considered a diagram of forces. In a very special way, the Curved Space Structure represents a 16 billion times enlargement of the diamond crystal, enabling children, and adults, to have an immersive experience with its spatial geometry. Not only that, the details of the construction methods of this structural assembly reveal a panoply of natural patterns including curved and minimal surfaces, tessellations, polygonal geometries, and applications of material science and technology. The name Curved Space was adopted as way of characterizing the spatial experience of engaging with these remarkable structures. There is no specific reference to Einstein's use of this term, although it certainly is implied. In June 1975 a Curved Space Structure was exhibited as part of the International Design Conference at Aspen, Colorado. This was the first public display of the Curved Space and served as a test assembly prior to the first permanent installation at the Brooklyn Children's Museum. There were three distinct structures that were installed at that museum in Brooklyn, New York, in August 1975. Unfortunately about 10 years later the museum was redesigned and the Curved Space installation was removed. One of the most important venues where a Curved Space Structure can still be found is the Hakone Open Air Museum in Japan. This amazing outdoor sculpture museum has had a Curved Space in its collection since 1978, when it was first installed. This structure was replaced and revised first in 1994 and then again in 2011. The Hakone Museum installation is largest single Curved Space Structure ever built. Although considered a work of sculpture, known as Peter Pearce's Diamond Sculpture, it has always been the intention of the Museum that children be able to access the structure. This structure has been extremely popular with the visitors to the Museum. The origins of the Curved Space system originated with Peter Jon Pearce's morphological research in 1965-66. This research explored natural structures as a theoretical basis for building system design. The emphasis of the this work involved the study of repeating geometric structures of the type characterized by the internal structure of crystals, as well as patterns of least energy exhibited by biomorphic structures in nature. Combining the study of minimal surfaces and repeating three-dimensional structures led to the Curved Space Structures. This work is comprehensively described in Pearce's book, Structure in Nature is a Strategy for Design, The MIT Press, 1978, 1990. Although out of print, the book is still available from some sources.