Posts tagged ‘Softroom Architects’
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The Termite Pavilion
Exciting news: the centre-piece of Pestival 2009 is due to arrive on site this Monday! The Termite Pavilion is a six square metre walk-in structure inspired by the inside of a Namibian termite mound, and will allow Pestival goers a unique insight into these extraordinary organic forms.
The piece is in part based on the pioneering work of Dr Rupert Soar and the TERMES project, a team of international experts based in Namibia who have created the first ever 3D scans of termite mounds. Their findings have been a embraced by entomologists and architects alike, and have featured in Sir David Attenborough’s ‘Life in the Undergrowth’ series.
For the Termite Pavilion, a team of architects and engineers selected a central section a termite mound scan and scaled it up to a size which would allow humans to move through it. The structure will arrive in kit form, to be put together on site. It is made of cross laminated timber, sourced from Austrain spruce, for reasons of sutainability, durability and cost.
The Termite Pavilion is an art and science collaboration between Softroom Architects, Freeform Engineering, Atelier One, Chris Watson, Haberdasherylondon, KLH and Pestival.
More information on visiting the Termite Pavilion is available here
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The Termite Pavilion takes shape!
Pestival has its first round table discussion about the making of the Termite Pavilion, the ambitious centrepiece of the festival. Pictured here are Chris Watson, Chris Bagot and Mike from Softroom, Patrick Bellew and Steph Fudge.
Chris Bagot and Daniel Bosia (from consultant engineer firm Ove Arups) chat about the termite project at the first meeting.
The Pestival team and architect behind the Termite Pavilion Chris Bagot presented their model to Southbank Centre’s artistic director Jude Kelly, who thought it was ‘really great and a brilliant message’. Below: Jude Kelly admires the model of the Termite Pavilion.
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‘Tower of Life’ project is underway
A working lunch as engineer Dr. Rupert Soar shows Nicky Kirk and Chris Bagot (Softroom Architects) the internal workings of a termite mound. Good to see the ‘Tower of Life’ project is well underway. The unveiling of this insect-inspired architectural piece will take place at Pestival 2009 at the Southbank Centre.
