Peter Randall-Page

The Laboratory at Dulwich College, Grimshaw Architects, with facades designed in collaboration with Peter Randall-Page.

Winner of the RIBA London Award and RIBA National Award 2017.

Peter Randall-Page, who has previously collaborated with Grimshaw Architects on The Eden Project, came up with the idea of using the Lindenmayer system for the design of the facades.

Developed in 1968 by Aristid Lindenmayer, a Hungarian theoretical biologist, the L-system describes the process that determines the growth patterns of algae. It has since been used much more widely to understand the fundamental principles in numerous fields, making it ideal for this project according to Randall-Page. ‘Everyone agreed that whatever design we chose should not be specific to any particular discipline, but rather a concept that has equal relevance to mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and the arts,’ he says. ‘The appeal of L-systems is that they are relevant, not only to growth patterns in plants, but also have applications in the study of such diverse fields as formal language theory and the structure of musical compositions as well as science and mathematics.’

This particular L-system, the dragon’s curve, was translated into a pattern using a script in Rhino to create six different points. These are represented on the terracotta facades as different hues and on the concrete panels as different size squares.

Both facade panel types were handcrafted in Belgium by Decomo Precast Concrete. For the terracotta panels a reusable rubber mould was made to hold the tiles in position, enabling the concrete to be cast over the back of the tiles, to ensure that the tiles protruded cleanly from it. For the concrete panels, polystyrene moulds were CNC cut, with the concrete cast over the top. This was to ensure that each of squares was cast protruding 10mm past the concrete border. Panels were then acid washed and protruding squares ground back by 5mm to expose the aggregate.

While the design appears abstract up close, and will be assumed to be random by many, Randall-Page says there’s more to it than that. ‘Close up the patterning is reminiscent of Klee’s “magic square” paintings, but from a distance the recursive dragon curve pattern becomes apparent; but that aside, I hope the facades are appealing,’ he says. ‘There’s a simple, profound pleasure in discovering patterns in both nature and art and for those that want to explore the pattern more deeply there are underlying meanings relating to both science and art.’

You can read the full article ‘Mission to Inspire’ by Tom Ravenscroft in RIBAJ 

The Laboratory, Dulwich College from Grimshaw on Vimeo.