Synthesis Design Architecture

Client: Volvo Vehicle Italia

first Place 2013 Change to Pure Volvo Pavilion Design Competition, Carried out September 2013

Structural Engineering: Buro Happold La (Greg Otto, Stephen Lewis, Ron Elad)

Fabrication: Fabric Images (Jason Gilette, Leo Boczar, Mike Lugiano)

The “PURE Tension” Volvo Pavilion, a collaborative effort between Synthesis Design + Architecture, Buro Happold, and Fabric Images, is really a lightweight, quickly deployable, free-standing tensioned membrane structure and portable charging station commissioned by Volvo Vehicle Italia to showcase the brand new Volvo V60 Hybrid Electric Diesel vehicle. Formally to become released in Rome, Italia in September 2013, this experimental structure was created via a procedure for rigorous development and research that looked into techniques of associative modeling, dynamic mesh relaxation, geometric rationalization, paneling, and material performance. These explorations illustrate the dialogue between design, engineering, and fabrication that comprise this project.

The work aspires to reinvent the normal trade event pavilion through its mixture of dynamic form, optical effects and versatility and suppleness towards the space. The dwelling for that pavillion is outlined with a distinctively sensual and continuous form made up of a tensioned HDPE Mesh skin with embedded PV sections along with a perimeter ring made from carbon fibre rods. The result from the structure’s organic form, perforated mesh, and PV transparent sections supplies a striking graphic identity to Volvo’s V60 model which inspires visual and spatial interaction while concurrently enabling different designs to support a number of activities including: suppliers, demos, vehicle industry events.