Transformable Tensegrity

Transformable Tensegrity is a series of studies developed at several scales to investigate how knitted textiles can participate in a structure’s movement and stability. Each version combines a framework of adjustable struts with a tensioned knit membrane. Changing the length of the struts alters the distance between connection points, causing the structure to expand, contract, and take on different forms.

The striped knit makes this transformation visible. As the framework moves, the stripes stretch and change direction, revealing how tension is distributed across the membrane. The textile helps hold the struts in relation to one another while adapting to their changing positions.

Working at different scales allowed Melnyk to examine how the same structural principle behaves as the length of the struts, size of the knitted panels, and degree of movement change. The series treats the membrane as a structural participant in deployable architecture, with its pattern providing a visual record of deformation.

Project information

• Project type: Research and structural prototypes

• Year begun: 2020

• Materials: Knitted textiles and adjustable struts

• Scale: Multiple prototypes at different sizes