Auxetics and Aesthetics: Exploring the Interplay Between Structure, Form, and Perception
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The distinctive behaviour of auxetics, i.e., their capability to expand rather than contract laterally when stretched, is inseparable from their geometry and, by extension, their visual character. Unlike most materials, auxetics are inherently both functional and expressive: their lattices, whether re‐entrant, chiral, or otherwise, reveal their mechanics through visibly dynamic transformations. This paper argues that as auxetics transition from laboratory research to design practice, their success will depend as much on aesthetics as on performance. It examines this interplay across several dimensions: classical aesthetic principles such as proportion, symmetry, and the golden ratio; perceptual frameworks including Gestalt theory; cultural aspects of recognisability and branding; and the evolving significance of aesthetics across technological readiness levels. Drawing on examples from nature and design, the paper demonstrates that auxetic structures operate within a unique visual logic—balancing regularity and inversion, harmony and disruption. Hierarchical auxetics, in particular, exemplify this duality, merging mechanical efficiency with rhythmic and proportional coherence across scales. Ultimately, the study contends that for auxetics, form and function are inseparable, and aesthetic understanding must inform development from the outset. In doing so, auxetics emerge not merely as mechanical novelties, but as a new synthesis of geometry, perception, and cultural form where beauty and function coincide.
Source: physica status solidi (b)
Authors: James N. Grima‐Cornish, Daphne Attard, Joseph N. Grima, Anton Grech
Institution: University of Malta
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,650
OpenAlex ID: W4417464673