With less than 70 days until soma’s grand opening of their “One Ocean” Thematic Pavilion, we are anxiously anticipating the final result of the firm’s biomorphic creation. Unlike most pavilions, this building will become a permanent part of the grounds after serving as the central point of the EXPO 2012 in Yeosu, South Korea. As we reported earlier, soma’s pavilion focuses on creating an experiential journey as visitors enjoy introductory exhibitions on the Expo’s theme, “The Living Ocean and Coast”.
More about the pavilion, including more construction photos, after the break.
The facades of the twisting form foster different relationships with the industrial harbor on which the pavilion seems to rise from; the solid vertical cones create an edge along the harbor, while a more elastic edge makes the transition from land to water. Soma explained their intention of creating a landmark that would join the natural with the urban to celebrate their dependency and co-existence, “The proposal…shows distinctive faces that seamlessly merge into each other. Towards the sea it appears as a conglomeration of solid vertical cones. Opposite the Ocean Tower the pavilion canopies the Ocean Plaza. Along the promenade it develops out of the ground into a walkable roof–landscape.”
Building upon the Expo’s ecological message, the pavilion hosts an amazing kinetic facade. Soma explained, “It is a combination of natural and artificial elements, like plants or fields of solar collectors and piezoelectric halms, which produce light when moved by the wind. The topographic lines of the roof turn into lamellas of the kinetic media façade… The kinetic media façade visualizes the production of energy out of renewable resources happening on the pavilion’s skin, driven by the input of sun, water and wind.”
Be sure to check out our previous coverage for more on the pavilion.
As seen on bustler.
