Placing 3rd at the London 2012 Olympic Games Information Pavilion Competition, the proposal introduces a recognizable and engaging form to London’s Trafalgar Square. A folded athletic track starts at the higher level of the square in front of the National Gallery, traversing a stairway and leading visitors to a lookout point. At the middle of its length a folded segment creates a separating track which descends towards a live event display screen. The fold itself shelters the pavilion’s main entrance and facilities such as the cafe, souvenir shop and information stand, along with necessary technical facilities.
The material, placement and form of the structure are derived from the environmental analysis of the site and support a sustainable design approach. The track is made from Nike “Grind” recycled running shoes. It orientation maximizes the utilization of daylight and cross-ventilation for passive cooling, with the adjacency of fountains contributing to the cooling effect.
The architects at Dowling Duncan Studio state: “The concept developed from discussions between our architectural and graphic designers and in collaboration with WN Design and visualization professionals at Transparent House. A truly multi-disciplinary approach led to a simple yet visually striking idea – form a pavilion from a piece of running track and people will instinctively be drawn to interact with it. The movement, complexity and elegance of the form and lines of the folded track embody the spirit of the Olympic motto Faster, Higher, Stronger.”
