populuxe

Hi kids, the word of the day is Hyperboloid. A hyperboloid is a solid or surface having plane sections that are hyperbolas, ellipses or circles.

So, what is a hyperbola? A hyperbola is an open curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane at a smaller angle with its axis at the side of the cone.

Vanessa, why are you talking about all this geometry so early in the morning?

All this geometry, hyperbolas and mathematical stuff sure do make some amazing architecture.

Cathedral of Brasília by Oscar Niemeyer

more after the jump

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Hyperboloid structures in architecture were first applied by Russian engineer Vladimir Shukhov. Shukhov built his first example as a water tower (hyperbolic shell) for the 1896 All-Russian Exposition.

The hyperboloid structures were subsequently built by other architects, such as Le Corbusier, Antoni Gaudí, Eduardo Torroja, Oscar Niemeyer and I.M. Pei.

check out wikipedia for a list of Hyperbolic Structures.