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OBJECTILE
(F)

Presentation
Exhibition
Resources

BernardCache(*1958)
PatrickBeauc(*1960)

Presentation

AdesignandarchitectureworkshopbasedinParis,Objectile

combinesengineering,mathematics,technology,andphilosophyto
workontheindustrialdesignandmanufacturingofcurvedand
variableformsofeveryproportion,includingsculpture,design,
furniture,buildingcomponents,architecture,townplanningor
landscaping.Objectilehasperfectedanoriginalmodeofproduction,
usingtheirownObjectilesoftwarebasedonTOPCAD,whichenables
calculatingthedesignsofcurvedandvariableshapesandproducing
themusingnumericallycontrolledmachines.Singularobjectscan
thusbemassproduced,includingpanels,partitions,furnishing
elements,etc.Objectilehasalreadydesignedatellerwindowforthe
SNCFrailwaycompany,withcurvedsurfacesadaptabletoevery
situation.Theirarchitecturalprojectscreatenewtopologicalspaces,
inwhichcasingandinterlacingaresubstitutedfororthogonalshapes.
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Exhibition

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Seriesofobjects,atoncesimilarandyetalldifferent,alittlelike

thewayeachduneinthedesertrepresentsaparticularvariationon
thesamemorphologicaltheme.Thesenonstandardobjectsarenot
designed,butrathercalculatedbycomputerandindustriallyproduced
bydigitallycontrolledmachinery.

http://www.archilab.org/public/1999/artistes/obje01en.htm

Aftertenyearsorsoofdevelopment,BernardCache,Patrick

BeaucandJeanLouisJammotsetupObjectileSARLinParis
(November1996).Theirpurposewastoworkonthecreationand
productionofcurvedandvariableformsoneveryscale:sculpture,
design,furniture,buildingcomponents,architecture,townplanning,
andlandscape.TaoufikHammoudiworkedwith"ObjectileParis"from
February1997toMay1998.Afteraninitialproject,Stephen
Fitzgeraldisnowopening"ObjectileNewZealand"inChristchurch,
andworkingwithRayonlerNewZealandtodevelopanewrangeof
machinableboard:"PatinnaStressfree"MDF.

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Objectilehasintroducedanoriginalproductionmethodbasedonthe
TopSolidsoftwareoftheMISSLERgroup.Objectileisactually
convincedthatarchitecturalcreationnowstartsatthestageof
softwareandtechnologicaltools.

WiththeObjectilesoftware,formsarenotdesignedordrawn,but
calculated.Forwithcalculationitispossibletodesigncomplex

curvedsurfaceswhoseslightvariationscannotbecontrolledby

traditionalCAD.Eachformmayproduceanunlimitednumberof
variationswhicharepresentedintheformofinteractivevideo
sequences.

Tomakethemostofthesesurfacegenerationresources,Objectile

hasdevelopedamachiningprogrammewritingmodulewhichmakes
itpossibletomanufacturetheseseriesofobjectsallofthem
differentindustrially,ondigitallycontrolledmachines.SoObjectile
isinapositionwhereitcanguaranteeitscustomersthetechnicaland
economicfeasibilityoftheirprojects,nomatterhowcomplicated
theymaybe,fromthedesignstageon.

ObjectilehasaccordinglyproducedfortheFrenchRailways(SNCF)a
ticketofficemodelwithcurvedsurfaces,whichcanbeproducedunit
byunitondigitallycontrolledmachinery,andcanalsobeadaptedto
thesituationspecifictoeachparticularstation.

Architecturallyspeaking,Objectilepaysveryspecialattentionto

secondarycomponentswhichmaybecomethemediumof
contemporarydecoration.ForObjectile,electronicarchitectureshould
notberestrictedtomajordemonstrativeprojectsonthecontrary,it
shouldhavetodowiththemosthumdrumofbuildings.Asaresult,
Objectilehasdevelopedlinesofdecorativeboardswhichhelp,for
example,todifferentiatedoorsinofficecorridors,andcreateseries
offacing.

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SemperPavilionMakingavirtueoutofnecessity

AspartofArchilab,Objectileismakingfurtherinvestigationsabout

theworkofGottfriedSemper.Theprojectalsoactsasacommentary
wheretechnologyisinseparablefromaformofanthropology.Broadly
speaking,thisprojectisextremelysimple:acubeturned60,thus
showingitsmainsidetotheentranceofthelargeexhibitionhall.
Everypossibleattentionhasbeengiventothecalculationofthefluid
elementsandthecomplextextures,butitisalsopartofaright
angledgeometrywithflatsides,whichistheveryconditionofthe
existenceofarchitecture.Eachoftheelementsoriginatesfroma
mathematicalmodelthatisopentovariation.Sothepavilionbuiltis
justonespecificcaseinanunlimitedseriesentirelyproducedby
digitallycontrolledmachines.
TheelementsofthisPavilionarefourinnumber,incompliancewith
theorganizationofGottfriedSemper'sthinkingin"DieVierElemente
derBaukunst".

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Themoundorplinthwhich,forSemper,mustinsulatethebuilding

fromthedampgroundbeneathitandprotectitfromflooding,has
itselfbecomefluidbyitsundulations,itsoutlineanditstexture.We
thusgoalongwiththefactthatwedonotfindanysolidfoundation,
whichdoesnotpreventusfrombuilding.Everyaspectofithasbeen
includedinseverallayersofmathematicaldesign,whichwasnothing
newtoSemper,whowroteanessayaboutthesectionofprojectiles
dispatchedbycatapults.

Thewallsinthemselvesarereducedtovertical,screenlike

enclosureswithinterwovenmotifs.Theyarenotloadbearing.They

servesolelytoenclosetheareaandcladit,asitwere.Thefretwork
andtracerywereproducedbymodulationalgorithmspartabove,
partbelowwhichrepresenttheactualprocedureofthetextile.We
shouldactuallypointoutthattheSemperiantextile,fromwhichthe
basicmotifsofarchitectureoriginate,caninnowaybereducedto
fabric.Rather,ithastodowithacrosswiseprocedurewhichfindsa
chancetodifferentiateitselffromthemostvariedofmaterials:
wood,ceramics,metal,andsoon.Atthesametime,fretworkand
traceryarebasictattooingpatterns,whichwehavedealtwithfreely
onthebasisofaquasiperiodicgraph.Becauseofthelighting
system,thefretworkrepresentsakindofinnerfabricwhichprojects
itsmotifsontheoutersheathoftheroomwherethepavilionis
installed.

pavilion,whichdoesnotalterthefactthatitcomesfrommodels
developedinthefieldoffurniture.Furniturecomesbeforeedifice.
These,inparticular,arethemodelsthatObjectilehasusedto
produceitsseriesof"nymphea/waterlily"tables.Theshifttothe
scaleofthebuildingobviouslyhaseffectsonthetechniquefor
manufacturingnewboardswhichareassembledtomaketheroof.
Theseboardsinthemselvesformaseriesofvariableelements,
whosemanufacturingprocessmustbeorganizedassuch.

Twoholesaremadeintheroof,andtheseassumethepropertyof

thatfundamentalSemperianfeature,thehearth,whichlendsthe
spaceatorusliketopology.Objectileborrowsthiselementby
adoptingamultihearthperspectivethehearthsthemselvesbeing
deliberatelyoffcentre.

Resources

Biography

Theroofisselfsupportingitisthearchitectoniccrownofthe

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Objectile
PatrickBeauc(1960)

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ArtistedesignerDNSExpressionPlastique,sousladirectionde
ClaudeViallat.

BernardCache(1958)
Architecte,diplmdel'EcolePolytechniqueFdraledeLausanne
diplmdel'InstitutdePhilosophie,sousladirectiondeGilles
Deleuze,etdiplml'EcoleSuprieuredesSciencesEconomiqueset
Commerciales.
Directeurd'tudesauBIPE,expertentlcommunicationdel'image
ettlvisionnumrique.
1997Mdailled'ordel'innovation,Btimat.
Enseignement
1999/1998PatrickBeaucenseignel'EcoledesBeauxArtsde
Valenciennes.
BernardCacheaenseignlesscienceshumainesl'ESSECet
l'conomiedel'informationl'InstitutFranaisdelaPresseet
enseigneactuellementl'UniversitdeToronto.

Principauxprojetsetralisations:
1997PallasHouseavecDECOi,KualalumpurExtensionde
l'AroportdeSchipolConsultantavecOveArup.
ProductionRalisationdesculpturescalculesparordinateuret
fabriquespardesmachinescommandesnumriques,desriesde
panneauxdcoratifsenbois(panneauxacoustiques,cloisons,faux
plafonds,portes,claustras),ettables(bureau,bistro,etc.).
DesignindustrieletcomposantsbtimentSriedeguichetspourles
garesSNCFdeParis,BldHenriMartin,Enghien,Pierrefittes,
VilleneuveStGeorges.

Bibliography

Expositionsrcentes:
1998FRACCentre,Orlans(juinseptembre).
1997VPROne(automne)"TransArchitecture02"IFA(t)
ColumbiaNY(automne)"Computersimages"Imagina,Paris.

PrincipalespublicationsdeBernardCache
1998Objectile,EditionsHYX/FRACCentre.
1997"Terremeuble"EditionsHYX.
1995"EarthMoves"EditionsMIT.
Auteurd'articlesd'conomiepolitiquesurlesmdiasetles
tlcommunicationsdanslesjournauxetrevuestelsqueLibrationet
Mdiapouvoirs.
Bibliographieslective
1996Wiederhall(juin).
1995Chimres(Hiver)DeArchitect(printemps)Journalof
PhilosophyandVisualArts(automne).
1994Faces(printemps)ANY(marsavril),Wiederhall(juin).

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