[ archi(te)nsions ] thematic pavilion_yeosu 2012 world expo

american firm archi(te)nsions  developed a thematic pavilion for the yeosu 2012 world expo - which intends to raise interests and awareness of the oceans and to explore educational and scientific aspects of the state of the art research on the marine environment.

to celebrate the ocean and its unifying element they developed their design concept around the shape of a waterfall. waterfalls are typical elements of the korean landscape like the cheonjiyeon, meaning a waterfall connecting the sky (ch'eon) and land (ji). in section the building is shaped like a waterfall where three main volumes plug in the structure and shaped like submersed objects covered in plants and greenery. the theme exhibition with its dedicated spaces follows the logic of the section of the ocean. from the superficial level of the water to the abyss, exploring every aspect of the different oceanic
environments with high resolution screens and interactive tools. the visitor will start from the top of the building in the sky lobby with the possibility to enjoy the view of the bay from the observation deck and then moving down in the pavilion exploring the first exhibition space related to the superficial strata of the water: intertidal zone from 0-200 meters,
which is the limit of the photosynthesis process. moving down in the pavilion it is possible to visit the different facilities and laboratories for the real time monitoring of the ocean, a methodology first explored in the research at the neptune institute at the university of washington.

then the visitor will be in the middle strata called benthic zone, circulating down through the building until they will visit the abyssal of the ocean exhibition. the visitor will experience the waterfall from the inside, moving through the building in a promenade of ramps and escalator s arriving in the area dedicated to the BPA exhibition with the state of the art technology
for projection and space for panel discussion. a lush water garden will complete the pavilion at the ground/water level making a visual connection between the new building and the water. the whole facility will be fully environmentally friendly using sun, water and the wind to produce energy.

from  designboom