Thematic Pavilion for the Expo 2012 at Yeosu, Korea

. of land and sea .

1. perception

gelatinous luminescence:

taking cues from the strange and enigmatic deep sea marine life such as jellyfish, mollusks and tunicates - the building shall glow and refract light with a strange translucence - covered as it is with etfe panels - that mimics the tissue-like quality of these invertebrates.

during the day it shall be a brightly lit internal experience, allowing natural light to penetrate deep into the exhibition spaces and support facilities. from the outside, the skin shall take on a strange and enigmatic, ever-changing character - transforming with shifts in sunlight direction, shadows, cloud cover - while offering a veil through which activities inside are glimpsed.

at night, it shall become a luminescent beacon along the waterfront for visitors of the expo and thereafter - while seen from approaching ferries or from the surrounding hills - casting its strange glow upon the landscape, as well as symbolising mans endeavour to strike a harmonious relationship with the realities of nature. the tissue-like etfe skin of the building would transform to become a giant, panoptic projection screen - becoming a canvas for artists as well as for communication.

2. experientiality

endless abstract landscape

the swirling, dreamy and abstract imagery depicted within korean landscape paintings an kyôn - dream journey to the peach blossom land / yi in-mun - streams and mountains without end become the basis for the experiential journey of the visitor through the building. motion is one continuous, three-dimensional axis - from the smells and sounds of the sea at the lowermost open deck spaces, through to the enclosed volumes of the exhibition spaces, and the vast hall of the bpa gallery that captures magnificent views of the ocean across the hills of yeosu bay, as well as a roof-top receation space that conversely, looks back at the powerful, mountainous landscape.

3. programmmatic progression

the evolutionary spiral

the building is spatially arranged as an experiential journey through an upward evolutionary spiral - taking visitors through an inspiring learning experience culminating in the bpa galleries and theroof-top recreation space that expand into expansive views over both the sea and the land. movement between levels and spaces is through multiple means - ramps, stairs, conventional elevators, as well as hoisting platforms between levels.

4. meaning and memory

the mountains and the seas - a dynamic balance

the evolutionary spiral is formed by an intertwining of two paths - one from the direction of the sea odong-do island and one from the land - that merge to rise upward before splitting to gesturally reach out toward the sea the bpa gallery and the mountains roof-top recreation deck. as such it means to reinforce and in the memory of visitors the basic underpinnings of all the ancient civilisations - that the only way to live sustainably is to strike a balance between man and nature. at the same time it refers to two of koreas predominant cultural and geographical influences: the mountainous inner land, and the vast and diverse coastline.

5. natures bounty

renewable resources - seagrass sky and bamboo topographies

as part of its endeavour to showcase a sustainable way forward, the design proposes the use of woven seagrass ceilings as an artificial sky within the exhibition spaces. seagrass is also fire-resistant, and the weaving could be formed into patterns and colours derived from the landscape paintings and the sea. besides, wherever left in its natural state, it shall glow a light gold imparting a sense of natural warmth. outdoor decks would be covered in processed bamboo.

thus the design would combine two abundant and renewable resources from the oceans and the land, material that are also culturally ded in korea as well as other asian countries.