Step inside Asif Khan’s dark pavilion for the Winter Olympics
Could this be the darkest building on earth? ‘On entering the building, it feels as though you are being absorbed into a cloud of blackness’, says its creator, British-based architect Asif Khan. Welcome to the 2018 Winter Olympics Hyundai Motor pavilion.
The structure, set within the PyeongChang Olympic Park, is without a doubt, a distinctive and dynamic piece of architecture. Conceived as a super-black composition, fully coated in light absorbing Vantablack VBx2, this pavilion is a playful take on a blackout space; its matt black material is able to absorb 99 per cent of the light that hits its surface, appearing almost as a black void, even in broad daylight. Its exterior is ‘illuminated by a field of stars that appear to float in mid-air’, adds the architect.
Part of Hyundai Motor’s global mobility initiative, the structure features 10-metre-high parabolic facades but measures a mere 35m x 35m in footprint; however its impact far surpasses its physical size. Inside, Khan created a ‘water room’ – an intricate installation emitting 25,000 singular water droplets per minute. Visitors can interact with them through sensors, altering their rhythm. The droplets collect into a lake that drains and reappears throughout the course of the display.
The contrast between inside and outside is powerful, creating an impressive effect. ‘The water installation visitors discover inside is brightly lit in white’, says Khan. ‘As your eyes adjust, you feel for a moment that the tiny water drops are at the scale of the stars. A water droplet is a size every visitor is familiar with. In the project I wanted to move from the scale of the cosmos to the scale of water droplets in a few steps. The droplets contain the same hydrogen from the beginning of the universe as the stars.’
In tune with Hyundai’s mission to explore how ease of mobility can enhance everyday life, the pavilion’s design is inspired by the automotive company’s technology.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the Asif Khan website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Coming soon: a curated collection of all the new EVs and hybrids that matter
We've rounded up new and updated offerings from Audi, Porsche, Ineos, Mini and more to keep tabs on the shifting sands of the mainstream car market
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Southern Arizona sets the scene for a corking vineyard experience at Los Milics
Los Milics winery, designed by Chen + Suchart Studio, is set among vines at the foothills of the Mustang Mountains
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Spanish design studio Masquespacio’s new HQ is a historical mansion bursting with colour
Design studio Masquespacio presents its new home and office, a bold and unique space in a refurbished villa near Valencia
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
London’s Reciprocal House complements an existing Norman Foster extension
Reciprocal House by Gianni Botsford replaces a north London Victorian structure, preserving its early Norman Foster extension and bringing the whole to the 21st century
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Stephen Friedman Gallery by David Kohn is infused with subtly playful elegance
Stephen Friedman Gallery gets a new home by David Kohn in London, filled with elegant details and colourful accents
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Henry Wood House’s postmodernist bones are refreshed by Nice Projects in London
Nice Projects breathes new life into the Henry Wood House in London, offering ample flexible office spaces for modern workers
By Daven Wu Published
-
‘Bio-spaces’ exhibition at Roca London Gallery celebrates biophilic design
‘Bio-Spaces: regenerative, resilient futures’ opens at the Roca London Gallery as ‘a call to action to stop designing nature out’
By Clare Dowdy Published
-
Don’t Move, Improve 2024: London’s bold, bright and boutique home renovations
Don’t Move, Improve 2024 reveals its shortlist, with 16 home designs competing for the top spot, to be announced in May
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Grand Palais restoration in Paris through the lens of champion fencer Enzo Lefort
As Paris’ Grand Palais prepares to reopen following extensive restoration by Chatillon Architectes, we visit the site with champion fencer and photographer Enzo Lefort, who documented the space ahead of the Olympic Games 2024
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Timber-framed Wimbledon house is a minimalist, low-energy affair
A new timber-framed Wimbledon house is designed to blend into its traditional surroundings with a neat brick façade, careful massing and pared back interiors
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
London Science Museum’s Energy Revolution gallery champions sustainable exhibition design
The Energy Revolution gallery opens at London’s Science Museum, exploring decarbonisation through sustainable exhibition design by Unknown Works
By Ellie Stathaki Published