The project is a magnificent creek-shaped structure that forms the inside surfaces of the National Museum of Qatar’s two main shops.
The interior fit out was designed by Koichi Takada Architects and created using an exact custom fabrication approach – set up entirely by RIMOND – that offered absolute control of detailing by connecting strictly architectural image needs with numerical CNC driven fabrication in a win-win process.
The project consisted of over 40,000 custom unique wooden pieces whose geometry was directly transferred by RIMOND to the client CNC cutter, including all necessary tolerances and constructive detailing. An incredible, almost super-human example of fine craftsmanship, that was made possible only through an advanced workflow and that has been celebrated worldwide, helping to promote Italian care for quality and accuracy in its realization.
The project had a huge number of components, around 40.000, and was designed to be built with them rigorously separated: each individual wooden stick that made up the layered wooden creek was retained as a separate component, directly connected to its neighbor and the steel bespoke back-structure.
Because of the 5 mm element superimposition, all components, including joints and connecting points, had to be represented in a mechanical model to ensure maximum geometric consistency. The smallest change to the geometry due to laser scanning of actual situation on site or slight variation due to functional final constraints, needed to break and adjust the delicate balance of such a complex system.
By leveraging on its significant experience with such major projects, RIMOND was able to design a comprehensive modeling method. Due to the design intent pushed down to final fabrication, this project, despite its tiny scale, provided an exceptionally high number of pieces, which resulted in a very large, digitally rooted, “advanced craft” operation.
The answer was a coordinating lightweight model with an exact base wireframe geometry that generated the actual geometry of specific components, partitioned into sectors, allowing customized fabrication, delivery, and installation of such a massive hardwood mosaic.
Of course, the model had to include the substructure that was constructed and exchanged for performance calculations, including connections to the main building’s existing beams and bracing, all while taking into account laser scan and extremely fine tolerances.
The model, however, served more than just engineering and fabrication purposes. Thanks to RIMOND integrated approach, It was intended to always show the architects the development of their geometry down to the finest details, and to ease their acceptance while taking control of collisions, connections, cost, and all technical and production limitations.
