
Frie Otto – Modeling with Soap Films (c. 1961) [video] - rfreytag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IW7o25NmeA
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lenticular
Soap bubbles behave kind of like catenary curves. They want to minimize their
surface area (which has potential energy), but also want to reduce their
gravitational potential energy. The surface tension of bubbles behaves much
like elasticity of thin solids.

It makes sense then that this would be a useful model for shapes of elastic
structures whose thickness is much smaller than the horizontal length scale.
Such structures should be built to be in an energetically favorable
configuration, otherwise they'll sag like a loosely-pitched tent.

~~~
buckthundaz
Yes, have a look at this study for visuals:
[https://wewanttolearn.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/plateaus-
laws...](https://wewanttolearn.wordpress.com/2012/11/14/plateaus-laws-soap-
bubbles-grasshopper/)

~~~
theoh
That is a nice Grasshopper project. This application of Plateau's laws is
limited to an idealised and very regular geometric situation, though. More
general problems can be solved with the Surface Evolver, which, like Frei
Otto's form finding experiments, can evolve membranes (starting from a certain
initial configuration and geometric constraints) under gravity and particular
bending energies.
[http://facstaff.susqu.edu/brakke/evolver/](http://facstaff.susqu.edu/brakke/evolver/)

The Willmore energy is a neat way to get smooth or "fair" bubble-like
surfaces.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willmore_energy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willmore_energy)

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mpweiher
1\. Frei Otto. (not Frie)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frei_Otto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frei_Otto)

2\. He did the Olympic Stadion in Munich

(Yup, the Soap Films)

[http://stadiumdb.com/pictures/stadiums/ger/olympiastadion_mu...](http://stadiumdb.com/pictures/stadiums/ger/olympiastadion_munchen/olympiastadion_munchen01.jpg)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympiastadion_(Munich)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympiastadion_\(Munich\))

3\. I live in a house created (in part) by him, the Ökohaus Berlin

[https://www.the-offbeats.com/articles/building-together-
the-...](https://www.the-offbeats.com/articles/building-together-the-okohaus-
frei-otto-collective-improvisation/)

