Course: UCLA A.UD Research Studio / Aperiodic City

Term: Spring 2017

Instructor: Neil Denari

Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room.

This project creates an ecology of effects through minimal means. Two platonic solids, the sphere and the cube, are combined to create different module types. Modules exist at four different scales – from the large and abstract 20 meter module to the smaller and more referential 2.5 meter module. In contrast to its extruded surroundings, the pavilion’s surface area consists of 3560 square meters of curvilinear surfaces, to 2272 square meters of planar surfaces. While in elevation and plan, the rectilinear grid on which the modules are arranged is legible, in perspective the form appears more irregular and ambiguous.

This isn’t a white elephant project. The pavilion is completely inflatable and can be erected temporarily for events, then removed from the site when not in use. Air is continuously pumped through the pressurized panels which form the pavilion’s walls. Space yarn, embedded within the panels, creates rigidity, allowing for a combination of planar and curvilinear surfaces.

This is an honest modernist project – what you see is what you get. The exterior of the pavilion directly reflects the obverse condition of the interior.

Its pink color creates both chromatic ambiguity and a strong visual impact. Pink requires all three RGB cones to work simultaneously, asking maximum participation of the viewer. Its reflectivity and iridescent qualities reinforce the visual obscurity of the form. The pavilion’s vividity reinforces its temporal nature – a true pink elephant.