Vault composed of 9 minimal surface modules

Minimal Vault explores where geometry, structure and robotic fabrication meet. The installation is a discretized stereotomic vault made of nine curved, 3D printed concrete blocks. They are arranged along an arch that works entirely in compression.

Designing with minimal surfaces

Each block was designed by spatially replicating four Minimal Bricks. These are geometric units derived from minimal surfaces, which have zero mean curvature at every point.

The form-finding process draws on the work of Italian engineer Sergio Musmeci, who pioneered the study of structurally efficient minimal surfaces. Assembled, the blocks form an organic, continuous and curvilinear spatial grid.

Fabrication process

The blocks were 3D printed through robotic digital fabrication, using a mix of cement and marble powder. Read more about the process in our guide to 3D concrete printing.

Each block weighs 42 kg and has a single folded surface with a uniform thickness of 3.5 cm. Together they form a discretized yet continuous structure.

Compression tests on the blocks confirmed a resistance of up to 1000 kg, which validated the efficiency and stability of the geometry.

Assembly and structure

The vault is 3.5 meters long and 1 meter wide.

Construction started with two massive Apricena stone abutments, designed to absorb the horizontal thrust. A temporary wooden centering supported the blocks during assembly, and they were laid from both ends toward the crown.

Once the keystone was set, the centering was removed. The structure now stands entirely self-supporting, much like the compression-only Hexastone pavilion.

The project was exhibited at Marmomac in Verona. See more work for architects and designers.

Credits

• Designers: Prof. Arch. Giuseppe Fallacara, Arch. Francesco Ciriello
• Academic institution: Polytechnic of Bari
• Affiliated companies: Vertico, Stilmarmo, B&Y
• Collaborators: Orestis Pavlidis, Jun Lee
• Exposition: Marmomac, Verona