Aperiodic Tiling, Penrose Tiling and the Generation of Architectural Forms

Abstract

The new facade of Storey Hall in Melbourne, by the architects ARM, is covered in a particular set of giant aperiodic tessellations which were discovered by the mathematician Roger Penrose in the 1970s and have since become known as Penrose tiles. While architecture has, historically, always been closely associated with the crafts of tiling and patterning, Storey Hall represents a resurrection and expansion of that tradition. However, what is Penrose tiling and what does it have to do with architecture? This paper provides an overview of the special properties and characteristics of Penrose tiling before describing the way in which they are used in Storey Hall. The purpose of this binary analysis is not to critique Storey Hall but to use the design as a catalyst for considering applications of tiling in the context of architectural form generation.