D&AD

The pavilion was the winning entry to an international design competition held by the Architectural Association School to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Design Research Lab. The structure, located in Bedford Square in London, was an experimental design research project that was also open for use by the general public. Its visually striking presence invites inspection from a distance. Taking a closer look reveals the merging of many discrete flat concrete and steel elements into a single continuous curved form, with a thickened ground that accommodates multiple different uses and modes of occupation, blurring the distinction between inside and outside, shelter and stage. The design and construction of the pavilion made radical use of digital modelling and fabrication techniques to manage over 850 uniquely shaped pieces and 3,000 joints of varying angles. The entire project was fabricated off site by a dedicated team of Design Research Lab staff and students, with assistance from the manufacturer. The realisation of this project was generously supported by Rieder, Adams Kara Taylor, Buro Happold, Zaha Hadid Architects, and Innova Construction.