bulgari pavilion by not a number architects
commissioned for the prestigious luxury brand, the installation is conceived as an exclusive and private venue with live music, a bar and a curated selection of high-end jewellery in abu dhabi.
bulgari pavilion by not a number architectsview of the pavilion with the museum at the backimage © NaNa
commissioned for the prestigious luxury jewellery brand for abu dhabi art 2012, the ‘bulgari pavilion’ is conceived as a temporary installation by not a number architects – an exclusive and private venue with live music, a bar and a curated selection of the company’s high end jewellery.
the design of the pavilion aims to be both reminiscent of bulgari‘s italian heritage, being representative of its own fabrication and structure. a self supporting entity is implemented without the need for a separate internal structure; therefore the form is not merely a decorative veil. acrylic tubes are used in different set lengths and diameters although they are rarely used as principal architectural elements – 2,272 tubes with approximately 10,000 individual connections to be exact. by packing them close together not only do they begin to form mass, but also provide structural rigidity. much like a rough gemstone, the concept was sliced and cut, then smoothed and polished to contrast within the environmental conditions.
view from outside the pavilionimage © NaNa
bulgari lounge and pavillion
seating under the translucent vaultsimage © NaNa
light coming through the vaultimage © NaNa
vault becoming columnimage © NaNa
reflections of the canopy on the seating elementsimage © NaNa
details of the structureimage © NaNa
night viewimage © sofia dadourian
artificial light embedded in the structureimage © sofia dadourian
the pavilion space during the art fairimage © sofia dadourian
snapshots of construction processimage © NaNa
design and assembly conceptimage © NaNa
project info:
client: bulgari SpA location: abu dhabi art 2012, saadiyat al manarat, saadiyat cultural district, abu dhabi, UAE project period: june 2012 – november 2012 architects: not a number architects (NaNA) structural engineers: structure workshop lighting consultants: artisan (united visual artists)contractor: HDD interiors dubailighting contractor: eclipse
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