One element that impacts the visual perception of retractable roofs is their geometrical construction. A quest to find new and attractive forms for buildings’ roofs presents a challenge for architects and designers. In this study, an attempt has been made to classify the roofs in terms of their architectural form. The roofs covered in the research are solid as well as moveable. Solid roofs are divided into three categories i.e. plane, curvilinear and freeform. Two criteria apply when classifying retractable roofs. One is the type of motion that the roof is performing (rotational and sliding) and the other is the type of material that roof panels are made from (roofs with rigid and variable panels).

One element that impacts the visual perception of retractable roofs is their geometrical construction. A quest to find new and attractive forms for buildings’ roofs presents a challenge for architects and designers. In this study, an attempt has been made to classify the roofs in terms of their architectural form. The roofs covered in the research are solid as well as moveable. Solid roofs are divided into three categories i.e. plane, curvilinear and freeform. Two criteria apply when classifying retractable roofs. One is the type of motion that the roof is performing (rotational and sliding) and the other is the type of material that roof panels are made from (roofs with rigid and variable panels).