A body experiencing uniform circular motion requires a centripetal force, towards the axis as shown, to maintain its circular path. In the case of an object that is swinging around on the end of a rope in a horizontal plane, the centripetal force on the object is supplied by the tension of the rope.
The museumâs architect and project designer is the Canadian Douglas Cardinal (Blackfoot); its design architects are GBQC Architects of Philadelphia and architect Johnpaul Jones (Cherokee/Choctaw).
Sim van der Ryn was a pioneer in this âgreen designâ movement, and when he was appointed California State Architect by newly elected Governor Jerry Brown in 1975, an opportunity to take these ideas to a larger scale presented itself.