Deep Sea Swimming Pool: Antiroom II
Veiled and offering just a small amount of space to stand, ‘Antiroom II’ acts as a floating temple in the middle of the ocean, a sanctuary for swimming far from the shore. The self-built pavilion was made by students from various European countries during the 2015 EASA workshop in Malta.
Solar-Powered Climate-Proof Cities: Floating Pavilion, Rotterdam
Ever on the hunt for ideas that will help it grapple with climate change and sea level rise, the water-centric city of Rotterdam experiments with “climate-proof architecture” in the form of floating solar pavilions. The mixed-use dome structures are made from a strong, anti-corrosive plastic called ETFE which is 100 times lighter than glass, and contain systems for solar energy as well as water purification. Currently used for events, these structures are ultimately meant to be connected into clusters as floating urban districts full of living, shopping, working and recreation space.
Monumental Sculpture: Croatia’s Floating Pavilion
Over 40 layers of welded wire steel mesh weighing 32 tons curves into a seemingly carved-out space on top of a barge, its form seeming indistinct and blurry from afar. ‘Floating Pavilion’ was Croatia’s entry for the 12th International Architecture Biennale in Venice. It’s essentially a monumental public sculpture that simply floats from its birthplace to its destination to be experienced by visitors – but it never actually made it to Venice, experiencing structural issues on its journey. At least they got photos.
Reflexivity: Floating LED Light Show
‘Reflexivity’ by ISOFORM is a floating pavilion covered in 3,615 mirrored, LED-embedded panels that flip, rotate and slide along a track attached to a metal frame, creating a dynamic visual attraction that adds to the ambiance of the city. The mirrors can fully enclose the space, reflecting the skyline and making the structure virtually disappear, or open it up altogether. At night, they offer a light show. “The proposal is both a monolithic, alien insertion onto the river, and a completely invisible entity,” says ISOFORM. “The floating pavilion uses the simple act of reflection to both alter the urban profile of London and blend into the context of the city.”
