A public exhibition of research into the use of tensioned fabrics as a medium for sculpting architectural enclosures starts at the Digital Lab on the 17th February.

Researchers at the University of Warick and the Courtauld Institute of Art have worked together on the project which marries art and architecture with engineering

The project is based on work done by the research team led by Professor Wanda Lewis of the School of Engineering who built a model that predicts the stresses and strains experienced by tensioned fabric enclosures such as the Millennium Dome.

The Courtauld conducted biaxial mechanical testing, for a variety of loading regimes and environmental conditions and from this research the team has been able to recommend suitable fabrics for use in different scenarios, for both conservators and artists.

The results of the study including canvases, model structures and unusual images of the 'strain maps' produced during testing and computation will be on show at the ‘Exhibition of the Century’ at the Digital Lab. It will then travel to the Courtauld Institute of Art in London between the 4th and 18th March.

The exhibition runs every day until the 26th February, between 9am and 5pm. Parking is available in Car Park 8 on the University of Warwick central campus. For more information visit the Digital Lab website.

For more information on the research, view the press release.