[C]Space Pavilion.
An experimental digitally fabricated concrete pavilion.
An experimental digitally fabricated concrete pavilion.
[C]Space is the winning entry in the AADRL10 Pavilion Competition. It is an advanced technology concrete structure that was erected in Bedford Square London in March 2008 to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the Design Research Laboratory Graduate Design Program at the Architectural Association.
The pavilion is formed by a discontinuous shell structure spanning over 10m made of thin fibre reinforced concrete elements which perform as structure and skin, floor walls and furniture. The concrete is manufactured by the Austrian company Rieder, and the design of the pavilion takes the material to new technical limits, which required extensive prototyping and material testing during the design development process. The jointing of discrete concrete profiles exploits the tensile strength of Fibre-C and a simple intersecting notch joint which is locked together using a bespoke rubber gasket assembly. The angle of intersection at each joint continuously varies across the structure. The entire design process was conducted using 3D digital and physical modelling, and the design development was completed using rigorous constraint modelling and scripting to control over 850 individually different profiles and 2000 joints. Finally, the elements were manufactured directly from digital models on CNC cutting equipment using standard sized 13mm thick flat sheets of Fibre-C concrete and 15mm thick mild steel plate.
The pavilion is formed by a discontinuous shell structure spanning over 10m made of thin fibre reinforced concrete elements which perform as structure and skin, floor walls and furniture. The concrete is manufactured by the Austrian company Rieder, and the design of the pavilion takes the material to new technical limits, which required extensive prototyping and material testing during the design development process. The jointing of discrete concrete profiles exploits the tensile strength of Fibre-C and a simple intersecting notch joint which is locked together using a bespoke rubber gasket assembly. The angle of intersection at each joint continuously varies across the structure. The entire design process was conducted using 3D digital and physical modelling, and the design development was completed using rigorous constraint modelling and scripting to control over 850 individually different profiles and 2000 joints. Finally, the elements were manufactured directly from digital models on CNC cutting equipment using standard sized 13mm thick flat sheets of Fibre-C concrete and 15mm thick mild steel plate.
PROJECT: [C]space DRL10 Pavilion
LOCATION: Bedford Square, London.
KEY DATES: October 2007 (Competition winner announced)March 2008 (Completion and opening)November 2008 (Dismantled and moved to Singapore)
PROGRAMME: Public pavilion
SIZE: 100m2. Approximately 12x8m
CLIENT: Architectural Association, Design Research Lab
ARCHITECTS: Alvin Huang (Synthesis Design + Architecture) + Alan Dempsey (Nex Architecture)
CONSULTANTS: Structural Engineers: Adams Kara Taylor
SPONSORS: Rieder Beton, Zaha Hadid Architects, Adams Kara Taylor, Buro Happold, InnovaConstruction, DHA designs
ORGANISERS Yusuke Obuchi, Patrik Schumacher
LOCATION: Bedford Square, London.
KEY DATES: October 2007 (Competition winner announced)March 2008 (Completion and opening)November 2008 (Dismantled and moved to Singapore)
PROGRAMME: Public pavilion
SIZE: 100m2. Approximately 12x8m
CLIENT: Architectural Association, Design Research Lab
ARCHITECTS: Alvin Huang (Synthesis Design + Architecture) + Alan Dempsey (Nex Architecture)
CONSULTANTS: Structural Engineers: Adams Kara Taylor
SPONSORS: Rieder Beton, Zaha Hadid Architects, Adams Kara Taylor, Buro Happold, InnovaConstruction, DHA designs
ORGANISERS Yusuke Obuchi, Patrik Schumacher
