The Pavilion is a spiral-shaped structure that curls the exhibition space in a double loop, with pedestrian and cycling lanes and a central harbour bath as the main features. A colour-changing architecture that pulsates with life as art, the media facade gives a new form of expression and experience for the visitor as a communicative and interactive facade.
More than 3500 full-colour LED lamps have been installed in holes in the Pavilion's perforated external walls. The lamps are controlled by day lighting and temperature sensors installed in the Pavilion, which combined with specially developed software create an animated look in interplay with the surroundings and architecture.
"By incorporating dynamic lighting as an integrated part of our surroundings we can vitalize the spaces around us and expand their possibilities so that in addition to being sites for profitable business they are communicative and interactive; in other words, living façades, which fascinate, inspire and inform," states Leif Orkelbog-Andresen, Martin's architectural segment market manager who has lived and breathed the project for over a year.
There are 25 other areas of the Danish Pavilion which are all illuminated and controlled individually with lighting supplied by Martin Professional, most notably Denmark's iconic The Little Mermaid, which was transported from Copenhagen and sits in the centre of the Pavilion's basin.
There are many other application areas with Martin lighting as well including a social bench, bike ramp, Mermaid Bar, shop, storytelling boxes and more. In fact, Martin has delivered virtually every bulb in the Pavilion.
BIG won a design competition for the Danish Pavilion by relying on its 'pragmatic utopian' design values - a balance between the playful and practical approaches to architecture. Experimenting with space without losing sight of the building as a solution to a real-world problem, the Danish Pavilion is an excellent example of sustainability increasing the quality of life and putting fun back into sustainable architecture in a socially, economically and environmentally responsible way.
"The collaboration with Martin Professional has been special from the very start," comments Finn N°rkjær, partner in BIG. "The Danish Pavilion is not a building in the normal sense of the word. It has been necessary to think in completely new directions, especially in regards to the testing of light because common precepts about light could not be used here."
John Hansen, project director for the Danish Enterprise and Construction Authority, the client on the project, comments on Martin Professional's role. "There are really two important things that Martin has brought to the table - creativity and professionalism," he states. "Martin has given added value to the Danish Expo project by designing and composing an LED lighting system that both enlightens and underlines the architecture of the Pavilion. The outstanding lighting project is a major factor in making the Danish Pavilion appear mythical in the late afternoons and evenings. Installation of this very complex project has likewise been impressive. Dealing with a group of professionals with such dedication has been a very positive experience."
(Jim Evans)
