monaco pavilion by naco architectures

international firm naco architectures have designed the monaco pavilion for
the shanghai expo 2010.

naco has come up with a building image that expresses the identity of the client
and also taken a global approach to architectural design adopted by marcelo joulia,
founder of naco, which combines hard construction and soft media creations
conceived as accelerators for encounters in urban space. the result is a chunk of
the monegasque coast that projects the ceaseless ripples of the mediterranean,
literally transposed onto a 12 m-high vertical envelope in pudong.



the 3D digital morphing of the mediterranean inlet displays dancing pixels. the system
relies on a network of feeder pipes that are constantly topping up real miniature sea
pools hidden behind the facade, and whose constant pattern-changes are reflected onto
the glass envelope to light up the pavilion. as soon as the sun goes down, artificial
lighting takes over. sunlight is used as an architectural device that ensures flow,
and the logic is pushed to its end term because the building is also solar-powered.


how the projection works


construction of the pavilion