On May 10, 2025, Necto opened at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition (La Biennale di Venezia), Arsenale. The installation was created by SO–IL, Mariana Popescu (FlexiForm), and TheGreenEyl, with an opening performance by Riley Watts.
The installation results from collaboration between two EIC Pathfinder-funded projects: FlexiForm and DiDAX. Within this collaboration, teams from both projects contributed specialized expertise.
From the FlexiForm consortium, TU Delft’s Tailored Materiality Research group, led by Mariana Popescu with assistance from Valentin Lorenzen da Silva, Nikoletta Christidi, and Niclas Brandt, developed the computational design, textile formwork, and digital knitting workflows. The Professorship of Structural Design at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), led by Pierluigi D’Acunto with Anass Kariouh, contributed structural analysis and engineering for the lightweight membrane structure, while Steiger Participation S.A. in Switzerland realized the 3D-knitted natural-fiber membrane through advanced industrial knitting technologies.
From the DiDAX project, the Shaping Matter Lab at TU Delft, led by Kunal Masania with Jasper Groen, and the Functional Materials Laboratory at ETH Zurich, led by Robert Grass with Francesca Granito, designed the bio-based coating that embeds DNA data within the textile surface, enabling material traceability and data-driven lifecycle insights. The Professorship of Machine Learning at TUM, led by Reinhard Heckel and Maria Abu Sini, developed the computational framework for error correction and data analytics of the embedded information.
Necto demonstrates how computational design, digital fabrication, and material intelligence can intersect to create adaptive, circular systems for architecture. Its structure, composed of biodegradable fibers and reusable knitted components, exemplifies a shift toward low-impact, data-enriched construction processes.
The installation is on view from May 10 to November 23, 2025.
FlexiForm | Project is funded by the European Union | Programme: HORIZON – EIC | Project ID: 101162376 | Call: HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDERCHALLENGES-01
