Keywords
evolving morphologies, information visualisation, architecture, definitions, design methodology, virtual 3D, content, Gestalt, The Topkapı Palace, human, “the transient”, tents, assymmetry, clusters, consistency, shape grammars.

The Bridge Project
The interest that instigated this study lies in a project developed earlier this year, entitled “The Bridge Project”, a virtual 3D structure of free associative content derived from the internet, one that will remain in a perpetual state of evolution where the original developer as well as new users are expected to add on new content over time. By virtue of this growing content, which is stacked by chains of associations, The Bridge Project materialised as a peculiarly organic construct and as such presented major challenges in the creation of a cohesive whole.

Screenshots from "The Bridge Project"

In the data visualisation field, which “The Bridge Project” can be associated with, the particular connections and chains that data may be accumulated into also cannot be pre-determined. Thus data visualisation needs to take into account this perpetual expansion and indeed does so where programming is concerned. Chaomei Chen places data visualisation design into broad categories, such as cartographic, abstract, botanical, etc. However there seems to be room for further exploration of design methodologies in this area. Can definitions that can generate design strategies be developed for evolving virtual content such as data visualisation, which can accomodate change and growth?

Evolving morphologies in architecture exhibit similar unpredictabilities and thus their examination seems to be a natural point of departure when trying to set up analogue precedents that serve this quest. The Topkapı Palace, built over centuries, with her replicating modules that created constructs which were easily assimilated into a cohesive whole, is well suited for a historic case study that addresses this contemporary challenge.