Could this be the darkest building on earth? ‘On entering the building, it feels as though you are being absorbed into a cloud of blackness’, says its creator, British-based architect Asif Khan. Welcome to the 2018 Winter Olympics Hyundai Motor pavilion.
The structure, set within the PyeongChang Olympic Park, is without a doubt, a distinctive and dynamic piece of architecture. Conceived as a super-black composition, fully coated in light absorbing Vantablack VBx2, this pavilion is a playful take on a blackout space; its matt black material is able to absorb 99 per cent of the light that hits its surface, appearing almost as a black void, even in broad daylight. Its exterior is ‘illuminated by a field of stars that appear to float in mid-air’, adds the architect.
Khan's design for the pavilion was inspired by the automotive company’s technology
Part of Hyundai Motor’s global mobility initiative, the structure features 10-metre-high parabolic facades but measures a mere 35m x 35m in footprint; however its impact far surpasses its physical size. Inside, Khan created a ‘water room’ – an intricate installation emitting 25,000 singular water droplets per minute. Visitors can interact with them through sensors, altering their rhythm. The droplets collect into a lake that drains and reappears throughout the course of the display.
The contrast between inside and outside is powerful, creating an impressive effect. ‘The water installation visitors discover inside is brightly lit in white’, says Khan. ‘As your eyes adjust, you feel for a moment that the tiny water drops are at the scale of the stars. A water droplet is a size every visitor is familiar with. In the project I wanted to move from the scale of the cosmos to the scale of water droplets in a few steps. The droplets contain the same hydrogen from the beginning of the universe as the stars.’
In tune with Hyundai’s mission to explore how ease of mobility can enhance everyday life, the pavilion’s design is inspired by the automotive company’s technology.
Watch Asif Khan's pavilion come to life in the landscape
The structure is coated in a matt black material that is able to absorb 99 per cent of the light that hits its surface
Khan’s pavilion features 10-metre-high parabolic facades but measures a mere 35m x 35m in footprint.
Inside the pavilion a water element is designed to interact with visitors.
Khan’s design was inspired by the automotive company’s technology.
INFORMATION
For more information visit the Asif Khan website
-
Pharrell Williams’ latest Louis Vuitton show celebrates a ‘friendship for life’ with streetwear legend NigoLouis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams looked towards his long friendship with BAPE founder Nigo to create a collaborative A/W 2025 menswear collection shown in Paris this evening (21 January 2025)
-
Think small, think electric, as Hyundai attempts to revolutionise the classic Indian three-wheelerHyundai’s Micro Mobility strategy, in collaboration with Indian manufacturer TVS, has revealed two conceptual takes on small electric urban transport in a bid to cut the country’s crushing pollution issue
-
‘Just beneath the surface there’s another world’: How David Lynch used hair and make-up to create his singular universeFrom Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive to Twin Peaks, David Lynch used hair and make-up in his films as a narrative device, writes Laura Havlin
-
This revamped east London terraced house is a music lover’s dreamAn east London terraced house gets a boost of personality and sustainability thanks to Archmongers, whose transformation makes room for the owners’ creativity and extensive record collection
-
This elegant infill project slots beautifully into the London streetscapeIn this infill project, a row of garages in Blackheath, south-east London, has been replaced by a contemporary family home by local practice Mailen Design
-
Don’t Move, Improve 2025: the 14 London homes adding design oomph to the everydayThe shortlist for Don’t Move, Improve 2025 has been announced, revealing 14 residential projects across London that add value and pizazz to their inhabitants’ daily lives
-
Space House: explore the brutalist London landmark’s new chapterSpace House, a landmark of brutalist architecture by Richard Seifert & Partners in London’s Covent Garden, is back following a 21st-century redesign by Squire & Partners and developer Seaforth Land
-
Fire-damaged Walworth Town Hall shows off majestic transformationWalworth Town Hall gets a much-needed reimagining by Feix & Merlin, who transformed the heritage building into a contemporary workspace and a hub of its local community in south London
-
Hanif Kara on building materials, the transition from old to new, and a healthy dose of realismHanif Kara, co-founder of structural engineering practice AKT II, discusses building materials and the future of sustainability
-
Year in review: the top 12 houses of 2024, picked by architecture director Ellie StathakiThe top 12 houses of 2024 comprise our finest and most read residential posts of the year, compiled by Wallpaper* architecture & environment director Ellie Stathaki
-
A brutalist garden revived: the case of the Mountbatten House grounds by Studio Knight StokoeTour a brutalist garden redesign by Studio Knight Stokoe at Mountbatten House, a revived classic in Basingstoke, UK
