Open, Sesame: Cuts and Openings

The Binishell system uses an airtight pneumatic membrane to erect a concrete shell, creating an impenetrable fortress that literally has to be “broken” to be accessed and used. The chapter concentrates on the compositional aspects of designing openings in Binishell structures. Openings are clustered into two categories: those that are created at the base of the structure, such as the openings of the cupola of the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, and those designed at the apex of the dome, for example, the oculus of the Pantheon in Rome. The final part of the chapter describes the construction systems that were derived from the Binishell, that is, the Minishell and the recent System A developed by Nicolò Bini, in which the openings are automatically generated during the construction process.