Jellyfish Pavilion

JELLYFISH PAVILION

CONCEPT. The concept for this inflatable pavilion is inspired by the behaviour of the jellyfish and its osmotic relation to the habitat.

At any movement the jellyfish re-blends itself with the surrounding environment, only defining a fine border with it, always variable and different. With its gelatinous nature the jellyfish is completely related to sea’s movement.

The pavilion as well is blending its forms and surfaces with the surrounding atmosphere.

Compressed and blown air constantly defines the shape of the pavilion from inside, adapting it to the diverse situation, both outdoor (buildings, trees, wind) and indoor (walls, ceiling and windows of a big indoor). Like in a continuos match, the pavilion, apparently a parasite, modifies its form receiving input from outside, but also facing external conditions with air pressure and ventilation.

HOW IT WORKS. The pavillion is made of three skins: the two inner ones form a pneumatic pressured diaphragm (pumped up by an air compressor), whereas the third outer one is swollen by a ventilation system of perimetric fans. This double system of structural inflation is studied to be extremely flexible, giving it different shapes in relation with the context and interacting with the space for an everchanging architecture.

The jellyfish pavillion uses therefore both a pneumatic inflation, defining the inner space (pavillion as a flexible space for activities and living), and a ventilation system to swell the outer skin, modeling the air, the invisible, and the landmark volume.

The two systems are hidden into the circular 50 square metre base, designed as technical element also for air pressuring, illumination, ballast, air treatment and wirings.

Transportation of the pavillion is possible thanks to the base that can be folded into two half-moon and carried away on wheels/trailer.

Seen from a distance, the pavilion is characterized by a powerful and iconic presence, that becomes a temporary landmark able to transform a landscape, an urban context, an interior.

When placed inside, the double structure redraws in negative the architecture, covering walls and trepassing open windows.

An important part of the project is the inner furniture, thought as a coherent element for conferences, concerts and exhibitions. Following the philosophy of the architectural project, the seats are designed as pop up inflatable bean bag chairs, filled with air.

Users will manually pump up their seats, directly meeting the project concept with a do it yourself process. The same seats can be deflated at the end of their use, clearing the room for openspace events.

Their informal clustering on the floor is inspired by jellyfihses “archipelago” aggregation in the sea and they also contribute in giving an everchanging configuration to the space.

MATERIALS. Pavilion’s complexity and experimental research is given by the idea of using diverse pressure conditions, inflation systems and most importantly diverse final design effects. In order to improve their possible variations the three elastic skins are made of two different plastic materials. The two inner skins are made of Thermoplastic Elastomers, by Vreeberg VB (NL), an exceptional soft touch, light and elastic skin. It can contain diverse pressures and reach different diameters, with a behaviour similar to latex even if it’s Latex free. Inner skin is opaline, outer skin is instead golden, giving back amazing lighting effetcs. All junctions are welded.

The outer skin is instead Asian Canvas, by A.S. Création Tapeten AG (D), a light textile material, with shot colors and mutable reflections. It’s thought to interact with air compression and be swollen by in-out stresses.