From Movement to Form: Mapping Motion Through Spatial Abstraction
This three-part series (conFORM, transFORM, perFORM) explores the translation of bodily movement into spatial form. It begins with motion-tracking, evolves into sculptural expression, and culminates in a pavilion that merges gathering and performance.
Workflow
Rhino (Grasshopper), Blender, Photoshop, Illustrator, physical fabrication
Year
2025
01 - conFORM
conFORM captures tai chi’s fluidity through a wearable apparatus, mapping motion as dynamic shadow diagrams on a Fibonacci-weighted grid.
Workflow: Rhino (Grasshopper), Blender, Photoshop, Illustrator
Apparatus render #1
Apparatus render #2
Apparatus dimensions
Fibonacci-weighted polar grid used to analyze shadows
Study of the "Repulse Monkey" movement in Tai Chi
Final results of the analysis of "Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail," "Playing the Lute," and "Wave Hands Like Clouds" in Tai Chi
02 - transFORM
transFORM abstracts conFORM into a three-dimensional form, distilling invisible trajectories into a skeletal structure with layered surfaces: an architecture of movement.
Workflow: physical fabrication, rhino, blender
Front
Left
Top
Skeletal framework
03 - perFORM
Informed by studies of movement and form, this pavilion distills the concept of fluidity and interconnectedness into built space. Situated within the existing flow of Grandview Park, its two levels separate gathering and performance. A ramped path invites collective access, while above, ten rain-filled glass pillars refract light through motion. The upper volume acts as a suspended black box, where shadow and presence converge.
Workflow: rhino, blender, photoshop, illustrator, physical fabrication
Site
Grandview Park, 1657 Charles St, Vancouver, BC
Site analysis
Axonometric drawing
Exterior render
First floor (gathering)
Second floor (performance)
Plans
A-A' section
B-B' section