Boolean Architecture

The Grande Boolean Concert Hall uses architectural features to draw in the passerby and creates a pull for those considering Knoxville as a destination. The design infuses natural curves into the downtown area creating architectural intrigue and seats just over 1800 patrons for concerts or events. Boolean logic informed the programmatic flow and overall form celebrating the three Boolean operations: difference, intersection and union. The geometries informing circulation, enclosure and organization were the cone, sphere, and ellipse. These geometries were operated upon to create a plaza, entrance, and roof geometry directly relating to acoustic performance. A detailed acoustic simulation allowed for the iteration of acoustic reflector organization to ensure the greatest acoustic quality within the design.

Extraordinary methods of drawing including stone stereotomy, the historical art and science of cutting three dimensional stones from 2-d drawings, and descriptive geometry informed how the project was documented and helped cultivate the translation of 3-dimensional objects into 2-dimensional data. The initial research to develop these extraordinary methods included 2-d and 3-d algorithms testing the curvature documentation of fruit, a naturally doubly curved surface. Without these extraordinary methods the documentation of this design at a construction level would not be possible due to the doubly curved surfaces produced through the Boolean operations.