| |||||||||
|
|
|
| 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia – Intelligens. Natural. Artificial. Collective, curated by Carlo Ratti, Venice, 2025, 2025 |
| A Robot's Dream, Installation |
|
A Robot’s Dream explores the evolving relationship between humans and machines in architecture, offering a space for reflection on the rise of robotics in construction. The installation invites visitors to engage with the presence of a humanoid robot, and questions the intersections of automation, craftsmanship, and materiality. It suggests a dual perspective: on one hand, it fosters empathy by humanizing the machine, while on the other, it critically examines the technological transformation of our built environment. As digital fabrication advances, what is gained or lost in terms of human agency, artisanal knowledge, and social interaction?
These reflections extend to the material and environmental dimensions of construction. The project explores the broader impact of automation on sustainable design, and highlights its potential for resource-efficient architectural production. The rebar structure built by MESH using robots and low-carbon steel will be repurposed after the exhibition, reinforcing the commitment to circularity in architecture. Rather than offering definitive answers, A Robot’s Dream invites visitors to engage in an open-ended exploration of technological progress. It encourages them to consider how emerging systems shape our environments and to envision as well as critically reflect on new relationships between human presence, artificial intelligence, and the spaces we inhabit. Further Links MESH.CH The installation is accompanied by the film “Test Assemblies. A Laboratory for Robotic Architecture and Digital Fabrication" by Armin Linke
|
| Credits: |
|
Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich, MESH AG
Prof. Fabio Gramazio, Prof. Matthias Kohler, Inés Ariza (Project Lead), Petrus Aejmelaeus-Lindström, Alessandra Gabaglio, Ilaria Giacomini (MESH), Yijiang Huang (CRL), Martin Inauen (MESH), Mattis Koh (MESH), Chenhao Li (RSL), Michael Lyrenmann, Ammar Mirjan (MESH), Panayiotis Papacharalambous, Sarah Schneider, Benjamin Sun (MESH), Ezra Truncellito (MESH), Achilleas Xydis Selected experts: Andreas Taras (Bergmeister + Partner AG), Patrick Studer (Bergmeister + Partner AG), Prof. Stelian Coros, Dong Ho Kang (Computational Robotics Lab (CRL), ETH Zurich), Prof. Marco Hutter, Ryan Batke (Robotic Systems Lab (RSL), ETH Zurich) Selected contractors: Egolf Verpackungs AG, Ettore Bertoldini s.r.l, Kühne + Nagel International AG, Rudolf Maurer AG Sponsors: Bergmeister + Partner AG, Debrunner Bewehrungstechnik, Department of Architecture, ETH Zurich, Institute of Technology in Architecture, ETH Zurich, Jakob Rope Systems, MESH AG, NCCR Digital Fabrication, Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council, Rudolf Maurer AG, Unitree Special thanks: Carlo Ratti Associati, Catja Loepfe (Tanzhaus Zurich), Foundation for Architecture, Fondazione La Biennale, Lucia Gugerli, Russell Loveridge (NCCR Digital Fabrication) |
| Copyright 2024, Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich, Switzerland | ||
| ||
|
Gramazio Kohler Research
Chair of Architecture and Digital Fabrication ETH Zürich HIB E 43 Stefano-Franscini Platz 1 / CH-8093 Zurich +41 44 633 49 06 | Follow us on: Vimeo | Instagram | |