Basecamp Pavillion for

06.2009, Linz, Mainsquare

With the building we try to contribute to two key terms of “80+1: a journey around the world”: motion and communication. We applied a twisted rotation to an initially rectangular body, shaping its exterior surfaces as hyperbolic paraboloids. Clad in stainless mirroring steel, these will provide a variety of optical effects. Depending on distance and viewing angle, the building’s exterior will respond to incoming light-rays in generating interpreted images of the buildings surroundings, especially when viewed in motion. In a metaphoric sense, as noted by Linz09 Director Martin Heller, the building could be called “a mirror to the world”, adding in an analogous way to what the Live Bits exhibition will aim at digitally.
One corner of the shape opens up the interior towards the main square, inviting visitors to enter and explore the 80+1 exhibit, which is planned to also spread over the surrounding square. These outdoor exhibits will be clad in the same facade material, where interior and exterior definitions are meant to dissolve. As the old square embraces these highly connected technologies, it shapes up a distinctive open air interior situation, in which the building is scaled to form shelter to these 21st century bits.

Client: Ars Electronica Center, coop. Voest Alpine & Linz09
Exhibit info: www.80plus1.org/en/
Photos: Archipicture, Dietmar Tollerian