How to Build a Sphere Out of Cubes, 2018 – Olafur Eliasson

Two open geometric structures sit at opposite ends of an elliptical lawn, defining an open, public space on the campus. Each form is a light structure made of brushed stainless steel: the one is a human-sized cube from which one corner has been removed and the other is a pavilion-scaled stellated polyhedron composed of sixty identical modules. The cubic sculpture is the basis for the spherical work and helps the viewer understand the geometry of the more complex form across the lawn. The triangular mirror that cuts across the cube's missing corner indicates one side of the module, while within the sphere, identical mirror triangles form one side of each module, so viewers can map the relationship between the two forms.

Research:
The mathematical analysis addressed the relationship between cubic and spherical forms and the modular system that constructs a stellated polyhedron from sixty identical units. The triangular mirror elements in each module link the two structures visually: the same triangle that cuts the cube's missing corner recurs as one face of each module in the sphere.