Necto

Architects and engineers traditionally base their designs on rational foundations and physical laws. However, in today’s fragmented reality, objectivity dissolves into ambiguity. The Necto installation at the Venetian Arsenal responds to this dissonance and captures the tension between opposing forces in a single common gesture. It oscillates between directional orientation and non-orientation. The resulting object exists on the brink of instability, embracing this contradiction while simultaneously seeking balance.
The suspended structure is shaped by internal tension and partial reinforcement. Necto seeks its form and explores the potential of temporary constructions - flexible and highly efficient. Its flowing anticlastic shape freely adapts to the given space. It can be suspended from a ceiling beam, leaning against the columns of the Arsenal, or lightly anchored to the ground. Circular hoops define contact points that simultaneously shape the resulting surface and act as interdependent poles. In the undulating geometry, three distinct architectural moments emerge: an enclosing cone, an indeterminate column, and a suspended net. A translucent skin made from biological material helps locally stiffen these moments and allows the fabric to transition between stretched fluidity and structural rigidity.
The Necto net, woven from natural fibers, has been computationally optimized and produced in modular strips. The distribution is based on the main force flows. Light threads, integrated directly into the fabric, trace the paths of tension and create light and sound constellations - expressing the tension between artisanal craftsmanship and computational algorithms, nature and technology, random processes and purposeful intentions. Lightweight and easily transportable 3D knitted strips, which arrived at the Arsenal in carry-on luggage, were easily folded on-site and tensioned into the resulting equilibrium state. At the end of the exhibition, Necto unravels and leaves no trace behind - its surface is flat, packable, and ready to embark on another iteration.