Ultralight Centrifugal Pavilion / Clavel Arquitectos

Ultralight Centrifugal Pavilion / Clavel Arquitectos - Image 2 of 13Ultralight Centrifugal Pavilion / Clavel Arquitectos - Lighting, ChairUltralight Centrifugal Pavilion / Clavel Arquitectos - Image 4 of 13Ultralight Centrifugal Pavilion / Clavel Arquitectos - Image 5 of 13Ultralight Centrifugal Pavilion / Clavel Arquitectos - More Images+ 8

Shenzhen, China
  • Architects: Clavel Arquitectos: Clavel Arquitectos - Manuel Clavel Rojo
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  150
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2011
  • Photographs
    Photographs:Cristóbal Palma

¿How much does your building weight?, asked Buckminster Fuller and now again curator Terence Riley asks to the six international teams invited to the Ultra Lightweight Village project.
Apart from the obvious answer we could conclude that any structure avoiding the effects of the gravity would weight nothing. So, can we make gravity disappear? Not, but we could compensate it.
In a world where we charge our mobile phones wireless and we send information through the air, why should not dream about a not so far future in which our buildings are sustained by other forces, leaving gravity in a second line.

Ultralight Centrifugal Pavilion / Clavel Arquitectos - Cityscape
© Cristóbal Palma

Centrifugal Village is based in that concept. Three circles of waterproof light fabric of 7.8, 6.4 and 5.4 meter of diameter spin around their axis at only 1,5 turns per second. In the biggest one we can reach a cantilever of nearly 4 meters with an only 2 mm roof thickness. It is interesting to check how similar is the movement with the aquatic animal one. Thanks to the rotation the gravity apparently disappears and only aerodynamical forces shape the fabric. The soft waves produced on the surface create a smooth breeze that improves the thermical conditions behind during the hot and sunny days.

Ultralight Centrifugal Pavilion / Clavel Arquitectos - Image 9 of 13
© Cristóbal Palma

Public Space!
The pavilion creates a specific place for children in the huge square. Children can experiment with the centrifugal forces, generate electricity to open the structures and activate the lighting. The faster the children chairs rotate the more light the structure receives.
What happens later?
Children chairs and their surrounding soft floor will be installed in other parts of the city, extending the life of the plays after the biennale. Electric materials will be used for industrial purposes. The red and gold fabric will be recycled in bags.

Ultralight Centrifugal Pavilion / Clavel Arquitectos - Image 4 of 13
© Cristóbal Palma

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Project location

Address:深圳市人民政府 Fuzhong 3rd Rd, Futian, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Ultralight Centrifugal Pavilion / Clavel Arquitectos" 23 Feb 2012. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/210503/ultralight-centrifugal-pavilion-clavel-arquitectos> ISSN 0719-8884

© Cristóbal Palma

超轻离心式展馆 / Clavel Arquitectos

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