Tesla Valve (2022) is a walkway with barriers whose geometry is based on Nikola Tesla’s invention originally known as a “valvular conduit” that allows gases or liquids to flow preferentially in one direction, without utilizing any moving parts.
In flock, herd, as well as human crowd simulations, it is a common practice to model individuals as particles in order to predict emerging group behaviors. For the case of crowd control, these simulations are used for architecture, urban planning, evacuation planning, and police/military simulations. By taking these particle models literally and using a fluid valve model as an architectural element, Tesla Valve becomes a playful experiment in orientation, individual decision-making and control.
The work is site-specific and can vary in size as well as materials.
(Photos: Zeynep Fırat)