The M_Scape sculptures are a series of three biomorphic fiberglass forms developed by Asymptote as an investigation into the intersection of digital modeling, advanced fabrication, and sculptural practice.
Each of the three M_Scape pieces began as a complex digital surface model — generated through iterative computational processes — before being translated into physical form through seven-axis CNC robotic milling. The transition from screen to studio demanded a fabrication partner capable of producing large-scale compound curves with automotive-grade surface quality.
The sculptures were fabricated by Seal Reinforced Fiberglass, a fiberglass fabrication company on Long Island, New York, whose expertise in producing large-scale compound-curved fiberglass hulls made them uniquely suited to realizing Asymptote’s digitally conceived forms at architectural scale. After the milling process sculpted each piece from solid fiberglass, a finishing coat of automotive phosphorescent paint and enamel was applied by hand, giving the works their distinctive luminous, reflective optical qualities — surfaces that shift between opacity and translucence depending on light conditions and viewing angle.
The M_Scapes occupy a territory between architecture, landscape, and the body. Their forms suggest compressed topographies — landscapes folded into objects — while their scale and surface invite readings as furniture, vessels, or anatomical fragments. This deliberate ambiguity reflects Asymptote’s broader interest in spatial experience that resists fixed categorization, drawing on the practice’s parallel investigations into virtual environments and digitally generated architecture.
The sculptures have been exhibited at Phillips de Pury & Company in New York as part of the Atmospherics exhibition, at the Venice Architecture Biennale as part of Prototyping the Future: Three Houses for the Subconscious, and at the Yas Island development in Abu Dhabi.
Credits
Design: Asymptote Architecture — Hani Rashid + Lise Anne Couture
Fabrication: Seal Reinforced Fiberglass, Long Island, New York
Finish: Phosphorescent automotive paint and enamel
Date: 2007–2008
