Code Builder

A live installation of a prototype cable construction robot, developed by architects Mamou-Mani, explores the future of building construction.

Building on the ‘spider cams’ of sports stadia and pick-and-place technology, the Polibot, a prototype construction robot, will be installed in Sir John Soane’s Museum, offering a glimpse of the exciting future of building construction. The Polibot will progressively construct and then deconstruct Soane’s designs for the dome from the Bank of England, using architectural drawings translated into lines of code.The installation will be supported by an exhibition in the Soane Galleries that explores the development of the project and Soane’s own experimentation with innovative new technology – notably, hollow bricks developed for the Bank of England, which inspired the 3D-printed bricks used by the Polibot.

Simultaneously looking back and looking forward, the project offers a powerful showcase of the potential of this new technology, which looks set to transform how architecture is designed and understood.