Architectural Association Visiting School, Dubai 2016

Articulate Performance

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A group of 15 passionate people from various parts of the world came together for 15 days to conceptualise and construct this hybrid pavilion. This pavilion is an amalgamation of data analysis and visualisation, a project that is set at the core of articulate performance and bought to life as a collaborative effort in the city of Dubai. It is now exhibited at Zomtobel Light Centre , Dubai.

 

The geometry of this pavilion is the effect of the tensile forces of the materials used in the pavilion. The final form was conceptualised using a propriety software that analyses material behaviour which was developed in Stuttgart and Michigan by prof Sean Alquist. The materials used in the pavilion are tensile fabric and Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer aka GFRP rods which is a special material imported from New Zealand.

 

The fabrication process involved laser cutting the fabric cells which were calculated to specific dimensions and sewn together by a machine. This fabric was then incorporated to the skeletal GFRP rods twisted and held in shape by its own properties of forces. The fabric added extra tension and helped hold the form of the structure.

 

This skin of the pavilion was then given life with the projection of interactive art calibrated to fit to the shape of the structure. The white colour of the cellular fabric acted as the backdrop for receiving designed visual skin imagery which alternated in loops and often reacted to sounds from its surroundings and hence, engaging with its audience as opposed to connecting with them only on visual levels.

 

A special note of thanks to all the tutors of the workshop (in no specific order) :

Director: Riyad Joucka

Unit tutors : Hashem Joucka,  Alessandro Zomparelli , Prof. Sean Ahlquist

co-ordinator : Maryam Altaf

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