soma‘s Thematic Pavilion, the major landmark building for this year‘s EXPO in Yeosu, South-Korea, is close to completion. The official opening ceremony will take place on 12 May 2012. The Austrian practice’s design was chosen as the first prize winner in an open international architecture competition in 2009. The main design concept was to embody the EXPO‘s theme The living Ocean and Coast and transform it into a multi-layered spatial experience for visitors. Although the additional ecological agenda in the brief of a responsible use of natural resources is not visually represented, it is embedded into the pavilion‘s architecture through the sustainable climate design or the biomimetic approach of the kinetic façade.

Ariel view

View from sea

The louvres open like the gills of a fish.

Night time view

Construction Process

Mock up of the facade.