While contemporary parametric architecture requires vast computational power, the history of architectural design includes some notable architects who used parametric principles in the prototyping and design of their buildings.

Antoni Gaudí’s legendary designs for La Sagrada Família Church and the Colònia Güell Chapel were achieved using a unique process combining ropes, weights, canvas and gravity, known as a funicular system. To calculate his designs, Gaudí hung ropes and chains attached to lead-filled sacks from the ceiling, arranged to reflect his preliminary drawings. Canvas was used to simulate the walls and vaults of the structure. By manipulating the length and location of the ropes and chains, Gaudí could alter the design, but maintain a clear understanding of the loads that would be exerted on the actual building. When a design was chosen, the structure was photographed, and the image was then traced and flipped to provide a viable design for the builders.

Luigi Moretti’s designs for a stadium were exhibited in the Parametric Architecture exhibition at the Milan Triennial XII (1960), and are generally regarded as the first representation of modern parametric architecture. His designs for Stadium N were achieved with nineteen parameters that included viewing angles and the economic cost of concrete.

Antoni Gaudí, Model of Colònia Güell Chapel, c. 1900 




Luigi Moretti, Model of Stadium N, 1960