A structural system where a flat grid of beams is bent into a curved shell form, creating a lightweight roof structure that carries loads through its geometry. Gridshells combine the spanning capabilities of shells with the constructability of linear elements.
Compound of 'grid' (regular framework) and 'shell' (curved structural surface), coined in the 1960s as engineers developed techniques for bending flat grids into three-dimensional forms. The concept bridged traditional timber framing and modern shell structures.
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