Through shapes, colors, and the elements on their facades, many architects have sought to bring a sense of movement to works that are otherwise physically static. Santiago Calatrava, Jean Nouvel, and Frank Gehry are only a few of the masters who managed to provide a dynamic effect to motionless structures, highlighting the work in context using formal strategies borrowed from the plastic arts. In other cases, however, architects have also opted for physically kinetic structures that could bring a unique aesthetic or functional dimension to the work.
Dynamic elements facilitate spatial changes through the movement of small parts or even larger sections of the structure itself. Often, when we talk about kinetic architecture, solar protections may come to mind: for example, at the Institut du Monde Arabe in 1987, Jean Nouvel installed 240 light-sensitive panels on the southern facade that regulated the amount of light entering the building through sensors and 27,000 diaphragms similar to cameras. The structure, which was simultaneously analogue and highly technologically advanced, also refers to Arabic motifs and Mashrabiyas, forming a shading effect that not only draws attention but retains cultural significance.
