AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL



SIAL Team:
    Andrew Maher
    Yamin Tengono


The design for the Australian War Memorial in London is by architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer and artist Janet Laurence.


This research project investigated a parallel process of design description comparing the tacit knowledge expressed through architectural drawing with a declarative computational process. It has been used to benchmark the use of design computation techniques for total project description for research purposes.

Complex three-dimensional forms are challenging to document and construct using orthogonal representation. The architectural historian Robin Evans cited the example of the difficulty in realizing Hans Scharoun’s Berlin Philharmonie as it was translated from sketches and models to working drawings

We believe one point at which the computer can discernibly augment design can be illustrated where an artefact is no longer well described through conventional methods.

The curved stone wall of the Australian War Memorial in London is such an example. Generated through two overlapping radial grids giving effect to a tiling pattern in which every piece of stone is a different shape.

SIAL developed a computational process to construct the geometry of the curved wall and then extract and output the data required for stone cutting which includes gaps for joints. This was documented in the form of automated spreadsheets and reference drawings.

The significance of the research lies in the examination of a specific design response with the flexibility to accommodate changes and testing modes of communication to convey architectural intentions. Conducted in parallel to the actual project procurement, this research was not used for the construction project itself but rather to inform how such a project could be undertaken.


The Australian War Memorial in London was opened by The Queen and Prime Minister of Australia on 11 November 2003. As reported by The Age newspaper.




Research Team
SIAL: Andrew Maher and Yamin Tengono
Arup: Peter Bowtell and Toby Clark

See also the Office of Australian War Graves