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Using rigidized textiles, architect Paloma Cañizares creates a new type of architecture that opens up endless building possibilities.
In a quest to push the boundaries of what architecture can be, award-winning architect Paloma Cañizares began exploring new ways of using materials like flexible fabrics. Her experimental work and research led to the creation of the Silk Pavilion (2023), a large-scale structure composed of twelve triangular elements arranged in a star shape. With Armed Fabrics: 1 Profile – 1 Building, the architect takes the concept further by exploring the possibility of creating new architectural elements. Crafted from rigidized textiles, these construction profiles can generate building systems that are not only lightweight and easy to assemble, but also multifunctional, stackable and reusable.
What if architecture could begin with a single fold of fabric? The Armed Fabric installation offers an elegant answer to this question. Made of woven fiberglass cloth, the technologically-advanced structural building profile can easily complement dry-building systems. Here, the architect created a six-meter-long, tent-like element that can be used in different ways: as a column, beam, joist, floor panel, or horizontal slab. The waterproof fabric is slender and flexible but exceptionally strong, enabling a variety of uses.
Folded to optimize geometries according to the desired application, the rigidized material offers excellent stability and durability. Additionally, the textile provides superior thermal and electrical insulation, opening up even more building possibilities. A newly developed joining system allows for an array of architectural applications by combining the woven fibers with construction-suitable resins. Additionally, aluminum bars and elements provide extra stability while allowing for a variety of building systems.
Paloma Cañizares first presented Armed Fabrics at the Marc Bibiloni art gallery in Madrid, Spain. The project showcases the promising path of contemporary architecture, one where talented architects invent new methods of building in more flexible, versatile and innovative ways. Photography by Asier Rua.
