{"id":23389,"date":"2014-09-03T18:01:27","date_gmt":"2014-09-03T16:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.area-arch.it\/uk-pavilion-2\/"},"modified":"2016-02-12T17:41:11","modified_gmt":"2016-02-12T16:41:11","slug":"uk-pavilion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.area-arch.it\/en\/uk-pavilion\/","title":{"rendered":"UK Pavilion"},"content":{"rendered":"

The design process evolved to produce two interlinked and experiential elements: an architecturally iconic Seed Cathedral, and a multi-layered landscape treatment of the 6,000 sqm site.
\nThe Seed Cathedral sits in the centre of the UK Pavilion\u2019s site, 20 metres in height, formed from 60,000 slender transparent fibre optic rods, each 7.5 metres long and each encasing one or more seeds at its tip. During the day, they draw daylight inwards to illuminate the interior. At night, light sources inside each rod allow the whole structure to glow. As the wind moves past, the building and its optic \u201chairs\u201d gently move to create a dynamic effect. Inside the darkened inner sanctum of the Seed Cathedral, the tips of the fibre optic filaments form an apparently hovering galaxy of slim vitrines containing a vast array of embedded seeds. The seeds have been sourced from China\u2019s Kunming Institute of Botany, a partner in Kew Royal Botanic Gardens\u2019 Millennium Seed Bank Project. Visitors will pass through this tranquil, contemplative space, surrounded by the tens of thousands of points of light illuminating the seeds. These fibre optic filaments are particularly responsive to external light conditions so that the unseen movement of clouds above the Seed Cathedral are experienced internally as a fluctuating luminosity. The studio\u2019s intention is to create an atmosphere of reverence around this formidable collection of the world\u2019s botanical resources; a moment of personal introspection in a powerful silent space. The Seed Cathedral is made from a steel and timber composite structure pierced by 60,000 fibre optic filaments, 20 mm square in section, which pass through aluminium sleeves. The holes in the 1 metre thick wood diaphragm structure forming the visitor space inside the Seed Cathedral were drilled with great geometric accuracy to ensure precise placement of the aluminium sleeves through which the optic fibre filaments are inserted.<\/p>\n