Inside Rafael Viñoly’s mathematical masterpiece

Rafael Viñoly. His design for the Andrew Wiles Building in Oxford is a triumph, writes Prof Sam Howison. Photograph: Miguel Rojo/AFP/Getty Images

I am sorry to read that Rafael Viñoly has passed away (Architect Rafael Viñoly, designer of Walkie Talkie building, dies aged 78, 4 March). Your article highlights some of his controversial buildings; I work in one of his great successes, the Andrew Wiles Building in Oxford, which houses Oxford University’s Mathematical Institute.

I worked closely with the Viñoly team on this wonderful project. The architects created a building that doesn’t just house mathematics, it promotes and celebrates our work. The team cleverly incorporated our suggestions of mathematical ideas into the structure: Pascal’s mystic hexagram, the utilities problem graph K(3,3), the shape of a vibrating drum and a Penrose tiling.