sci-fi design concept: shells have provided timeless inspiration in art, such as in the rococco era and in modern architectural and design forms. the shell is so consistent in art history as to be an archetypal image form. itself a house, the shell has even been a design idea for an opera house! it's acoustic properties, recognized from primitive to present day have been exploited in amphitheatre design. perhaps in the future people will continue the primal connection with the shell which will inspire spacecraft, house, furniture, vehicle, lifestyle, technology, health and other aspects of life and design for future life forms.