Cenotaph for newton

18th Century Virtual Architecture

Skills utilized:

• 3D Modeling (Rhino)

• Research

Visit the Virtual Model here

The Cenotaph for Newton is a visionary paper architecture project that was conceived by the French neoclassical architect Étienne-Louis Boullée. Never built, it would have been an astoundingly massive monument to Sir Isaacc Newton, larger in scale than the Great Pyramid at Giza.

Boullée drew dozens of designs for impossibly large buildings, never meant to be built, but rather to be a way of transmitting the ideals and theory of his design work with a certain purity that wouldn’t be corrupted by real world restraints. In a way, his work was a precursor to virtual reality, creating an experience that draws the viewer in, and allows them to explore.

All of Boullée’s work lacked hard dimensions, instead preferring to insert tiny scale figures throughout his drawings, indicating only qualitatively the grand scale of the design.

Given the impossibly large nature of his projects, they are all prime candidates for virtual reality. By converting his array of 2D drawings into a 3D model, and then optimizing the model for a virtual reality experience, one can finally experience the awe-inspiring grandeur he always wanted to convey.