Saltatur

Saltatur is a sculptural and structural furniture piece that is designed based on the principles of 3DGS (3d graphic statics). The name Saltatur means dancer in Latin and it points towards the twist in the structure. The three supports on the ground twist 180 degrees to form the upper supports and the spatial structure bridges between the two. The aesthetics of this piece emphasizes its lightness and elegance. The branching creases visualize the force flow and give a dynamic feel to the overall composition. The structure is designed based on 3DGS in such a way that its global force diagram and the force diagram of every single node, form a closed polyhedron. So theoretically the whole structure is in compression only. Due to some deflections under its own weight, there is some tension in the built specimen but it is negligible.

The body is made of discrete nodes with a variable thickness between 2 to 3 inches which correspond to their internal forces and it can take up to 400lb. An ultra-performance fiber reinforced concrete recipe is used to cast each node in a 2mm PLA 3d printed mold which later is pilled of when the cast is cured. An innovative male-female lucking mechanism is designed and fabricated out of stainless steel to connect the nodes together. Six stainless still caps are designed for the top and bottom supports which are connected by 6 post-tensioned cables that keep the whole structure in equilibrium. For more information please visit the link to the PSL web page