Project Overview

The exhibition pavilion covers a floor area of 380 m², with the primary structure consisting of 30 natural fiber composite columns and beams with a span of 8.5m meters. The supporting structure is made of robotically wound flax fibers, a regional material that is natural, renewable and biodegradable. Timber panels supported by the beams enclose the space. The pavilion illustrates how integrative co-design methods can be taken into account at a very early stage of a project, combined with state-of-the-art robotic manufacturing techniques and research into natural materials, creating a unique architecture that is both environmentally friendly and expressive in terms of design.

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Design Development Studies

A series of studies were conducted during the initial design process to address considerations affecting the feasibility of the structure.

In the first study, two component typologies with two connection types each were compared in terms of their local and general dimensions to clarify prefabrication concerns. A second study was conducted to compare the relationship between element and massing parameters in three types of global typologies. In a third study, the timber roof and glass facade area were compared between three iterations of different global typologies. Finally, a fiber layup consisting of 4 syntax types for columns and 3 for beams was proposed for further study.