INSPIRATION

The project is born from the idea of rehabilitation, an inverse concept from Dante’s inferno, where the downward spiraling levels of damnation turn into and ascending stair of redemption. The process of re-insertion into society is understood as a Hero’s Journey towards the top, where the Garden of Eden awaits. Instead of being convicted to a time-bound sentence, the inmates will be sentenced to a certain amount of levels. Only after completion of all challenges, one will be healed and released back into society.

COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN SYSTEM
Flowchart of computational design system (own work).

The computational system behind the project is developed on two different levels:

The formal definition of the multi-level structure and the external skin of the tower, supported by a reticular skeleton of Voronoi cells that mainly determine its architectural expression: monolithic, brutalist, and futuristic.

The creation of the levels, each of which contains a different challenge for the inmates who, like in the hero’s journey, face challenges to reach the top, in a psychological rehabilitation process that will confront them with themselves, allowing them to rediscover themselves when they reach the top of the tower.

In the first phase, the primary parameters are defined in GH: the domain of existence is represented by the 23 levels, an allegory of the Dantean universe. Then, with the help of graphs, all the fundamental values that regulate the geometry of the tower, from angulation to scale, are parameterized. Using a C# script, the levels are divided into pairs, which are then used as input in a Python script that generates the ornamental structure of the skin and, with it, the expressive code of the building and its envelope. The code uses the branch number to which the levels belong to obtain permutations and thus generates a consistent structure from the ground floor to the top, while always remaining different and evolving.

EARLY EXPLORATIONS
Early exploration visualizations (own work)

The design process began with a regular tower whose floors had a cylindrical shape and a center of gravity aligned along the same axis. The structure was decorated with geometric patterns and supported by an external beam framework, inspired by space rockets stationed on launch pads. Although the initial model was eventually surpassed, it established the primary rules for the project. The design evolved from a circular base to the use of polygons, enabling the exploration of hundreds of different shape variations in a short time through a parametric system. This process culminated in the selection of the final geometry. Consequently, an increasing level of variety can be observed in the early explorations. A script was then developed to generate an endoskeleton for the structure, replacing the initial supporting exoskeleton. Subsequently, a parametric and procedural outer shell was created, entirely implemented using a Python script.

Skin iterations (own work)
Crystal fragmentation (van Zalinge & Cashman, 2018)

Using a custom script, we sought to simulate the sensation of a crumbled monolith, revealing a small, dynamic world within. The computational process behind this concept involved leveraging advanced algorithms to break down the monolithic structure into fragmented pieces, mimicking the natural erosion and disintegration of rock formations. By applying procedural techniques, we were able to generate intricate patterns of movement within the fragmented space, akin to minerals embedded in rock. This approach allowed for a dynamic interplay between form and function, where each fracture and detail within the monolith is procedurally generated, offering a highly detailed and responsive computational model.

FORM ITERATIONS & PARAMETERS
Centroid creation
Number of sides
Side number distribution (Graph mapper)
Tower scaling
Floor rotation
Rotation distribution (Graph mapper)
Floor radiuses
Radius distribution (Graph mapper)
Skin iterations (Python code)

Taking a closer look at the parameters which generate the tower geometry, there is a wide range of possible variations and results that can be achieved by controlling them, and their distribution throughout the tower height via remap numbers and randomization. The script begins by defining the field of existence: 23 levels inspired by the layout of Dante’s Inferno but mirrored. Using a C# script, the levels are paired, and their contents are extracted, divided into floors and lateral walls, using a Python script we generate an external skin, which is different for each level but consistent in DNA and style.

SKIN ITERATIONS
Orthogonal view of skin iterations. Skin Iterations  by custom  Python node and side number distribution with Graph Mapper.
Orthogonal view of inner structure. Rotation distribution using graph mapper.

Orthogonal view of the two constitutive layers of the structure: the skeleton and the skin, as well as the relationship between them and how the script has enabled the exploration of different combinations.

FORM FINDING | LEVELS

The simulations of the levels have been developed, each with a different workflow. For some, it was necessary to connect GH and Houdini through the use of a C# script for real-time import and export of files. This allowed us, for example, to combine complex form-finding strategies on GH with scripts created in VEX.

Overview of levels (own work)

The Levels of the tower are the essence of the inmates’ rehabilitation journey. Each of the levels represent a certain experience, a certain puzzle to be solved, being a metaphor of the inner transformation process. Each of these levels represents a showcase of a determined computational method. They follow the growth path of those who traverse them, from the bottom to the top, from chaos to order. Each level is thematic and dedicated to a specific experience that stimulates an emotion or evokes a memory.

LEVEL 3 | PERLIN LABYRINTH

Maze created by an elastic moving organisms, symbolizes falling to learn to rise again.

Perlin Noise

LEVEL 7 | FACING TRAUMAS

The scream of liberation to break free from the grip of buried memories.

Random subtraction | Voxelization

LEVEL 18 | TEKNO GARDEN

An artificial life system that symbolizes the transience and fragility of all living beings.

Python | L-System | Metaball

A detailed exploration of three levels selected from different stages, moving from left to right, from chaos to order. This cross-section represents the hero’s journey as they climb the tower, delving into some of the themes addressed at different and distant moments of the same journey.

THE EDEN TOWER | OVERVIEW

The path of growth and rehabilitation is made up of 23 levels, divided into 3 stages. At the end of the final stage, one can reach the garden in the clouds, that is, Eden. It is like climbing a mountain, facing the path and oneself until the ultimate awareness is achieved.

Stage 1: Chaos
  • The first stage of the tower is dedicated to the theme of chaos, immersing the prisoner in disintegration. The experiences in this stage are challenging, and overcoming the levels is achieved with great effort.
Stage 2: Transitional
  • The intermediate level is the one that separates chaos from harmony, where order begins to resurface. The sensory experiences are designed to bring about an awareness of responsibilities before reuniting with the whole.
Stage 3: Harmony
  • The last stage of the tower is dedicated to the most harmonious experiences and the reconnection with an inner state of peace. Here, the prisoner can reconnect with the natural world by experiencing a journey through the forest in its sensorially augmented version.
VISUALIZATION

The prisoners look up at the tower in search of salvation. The prisoners from the top of the tower look at the island and remember the arduous steps that brought them so high. The tower is the hero’s journey.

Tower of Eden perspective view (own work)
Tower of Eden as seen from the sky (own work)
Eden Tower (own work)