This breathtaking platform lets users walk into the sea in an experience that feels like floating in and on the water. For the Yeosu Expo in 2012, Daniel Valle Architecture created an architectural experience that embraces the notion of fluidity and brings attention to changing sea levels. The pavilion can be raised to float above the sea or rest below it in order to accommodate large or small exhibits, creating an environment that is deliberately unstable.
According to the architect, the concept, called the Water Pavilion, explores fluidity, buoyancy and constant change. “The pavilion stands on the unstable limit of sea level, changing its configuration according to various uses during the expo.”
At times, the pavilion can be almost entirely underwater, leaving only small, specialized spaces for intimate events. Other times, using hydraulics, the pavilion rises above the sea surface for larger events. The architect designed the pavilion to bring attention to the change in ocean and coastal environments taking place as a result of global warming.
Visitors experience an intentionally-unstable surface, which reflects the unstable environment. The pavilion was designed for Seoul, South Korea, but could be a feature of any city waterfront.
Source: inhabitat.com
