DIGITAL ZELLIJ

Zellij is the traditional Moroccan craft of cutting and composing mosaic tiles into complex geometric patterns. Because of their reliance on mathematical properties, as well as their spiritual and philosophical roots in the materialisation of abstraction, these patterns demonstrate a strong predisposition for digitalisation.

This master thesis aims to explore whether new use cases for Zellij can be generated by the introduction of parametric digital fabrication technologies. Through workshops with craftspeople and architecture students in Switzerland and in Morocco, a tangible parametric interface was developed, drawing inspiration from processes of the craft. This tool was conceived to prompt a discussion about the future of Islamic patterns in a hands-on fashion and enable the development of hybrid fabrication processes – a human-machine collaboration for traditional Moroccan craft.