You and I wandering on the snake’s tail – Thilo Frank x Phillip C. Reiner, 2016

Wooden structure with triangles at night.

"You and I wandering on the snake's tail" spirals wooden triangles around an empty center. Each equilateral triangle offsets slightly from the previous, rotating incrementally as the structure descends. The tips spiral inward and down, eventually disappearing into the ground. The mathematical spiral creates organic appearance-from some angles the structure floats, from others it grows from earth. Visitors walk through the open center, experiencing the spiral from within. Originally created for Lichtparcour Braunschweig, the pavilion now resides at ARKEN Museum. Sensor-controlled lighting activates at night, emphasizing the spiral geometry. The wooden slats, suspended on steel cables, combine structural lightness with visual presence.

Research: Equilateral triangles position along a helical path with two parameters: vertical descent rate and rotational offset per step. The computational challenge: calculating offset angles that create smooth spiral while ensuring structural connections between adjacent triangles. Each triangle suspends from steel cables, requiring precise anchor point calculations for load distribution. The spiral's pitch and radius determine the overall form-tighter spirals create dense structures, looser spirals emphasize openness. Sensor-controlled lighting required integration with the geometric framework, positioning lights to emphasize spiral continuity.

A wooden triangular structure with LED branches forming a circle in an open field.
Wooden structure with curved beams forms intricate archways in an open field.

Photography: Thilo Frank

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