Eladio Dieste: A Network of Precise Errors

In the second half of the 20th century, the lateUruguayan engineer Eladio Dieste developed fourstructural innovations that emphasized the role ofmaterial error and challenged the dominance ofgraphical representation in architecture. The workpresented in this paper considers “the proximate”as the assumption of an error-free architecture. Theproximate is the precise execution of drawings andthe obsession with infallible material production. InDieste’s work, the combination of double curvaturegeometries, like Ruled Surfaces, with steel reinforcedmasonry construction, expanded the modern pursuitof material control. The work discussed in this paperhighlights the implications of building a Ruled Surfacebrick wall in an effort to disassociate precision fromcomplexity. The resulting wall is a network of preciseerrors.

Volume Editors
Urs Peter Flueckiger & Victoria McReynolds

ISBN
978-1-944214-16-6