ADDP Architects and OWIU Design Studio will be commissioned to design and build their ‘Reclaiming Connectivity’ pavilion scheme for use as the main pavilion of Singapore’s Archifest 2020 - “Architecture Saving OUR World.” Launching as a Virtual Tour on September 25, 2020, the pavilion will test new architectural ideas for post-Covid-19 design, from its total prefab construction to its spatial layout, sustainable wooden material composition, functional tectonic glass design, and light manipulation. Festival goers can expect to explore a virtual Pavilion that allows them to examine the structure through an interactive 3-D tour that offers a 360-degree view, from the comfort of their home.
The Reclaiming Connectivity pavilion was originally inspired by OWIU Design Studio Founding Partner Amanda Gunawan’s photographs on abstraction of natural landscape. The Pavilion’s design uses photography print on Light Emitting Surfaces (LES) glass to capture the subtle details of water as an attempt to distort its original way of being perceived. Similarly, the Pavilion’s concept of Reclaiming Connectivity is a relook at what is current, and aims to inspire reflections on humanity’s innate need for connection, juxtaposed against the current reality of social distancing in public spaces. The LES glass is sponsored by SG-Glass and Kingboard (FoGang) Specialty Resins.
Since its founding in 2007, Archifest has become an annual festival to celebrate architecture and the built environment, and a platform to discuss, debate and dream about the possibilities surrounding architecture and the city of Singapore. It is also the official festival of the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA). The theme of Archifest 2020 - “Architecture Saving OUR World,” examines new ideas and responsible designs that benefit our ecology and humanity – climate change, public health, social equity and cultural continuity and the spirit of ‘creative activism’ within the profession. It seeks to demonstrate how architecture has the power to impact and ultimately save our world.
The ‘Reclaiming Connectivity’ pavilion re-examines public space within the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic world and is inspired by the “open plan” concept of Le Corbusier. It offers an alternative to isolation, by creating private areas of public space. Incorporating LES technology, the space enables an illuminated atmosphere of calm with one-directional circulation to ensure safety protocols of social distancing and sanitizing. The porous glass design is composed of patented-technology building material and was ideated to virtually display the work of artists and photographers.
The non-invasive walls provide a translucent frame of reference and a sense of being connected to the world, while still ensuring privacy and social distance. The pavilion will be designed using a part-to-whole method that ensures complete offsite modular prefabrication, transportability, and complete on-site construction within 48 hours. Simply assembled, the pavilion structure is composed of 99% sustainable FSC-certified timber and can be transported in one standard container.
For further information about the “Reclaiming Connectivity” Pavilion at Archifest 2020, visit: https://www.archifest.sg/pavilion.
