Yip-Lam Forrest Lai

21.6x106 ms

The 21.6x106 ms pavilion is about seizing and capturing the moment since most of the pavilions are not meant to last. Temporariness is the nature of pavilions, but what if we catch it with a camera? Inspired by the shutter in cameras and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, this pavilion is composed with three spiral curves and featured with a movable external shell that can adjust its orientation depending on the direction of the sun or the function (lunch seminar). As the outer shell of the pavilion closes steadily from 12:00 to 6:00 pm every day, so here is simple math for shutter speed: 60x60x5x1000 = 21.6x106 ms.

The space is welcoming and public when the outer shell is open in the morning or during events. However, the outer shell will gradually close after 12:00 pm to block the sunlight coming from the northwest, and it will become a partly enclosed space inside the pavilion after 6:00 pm, which offers a relatively private and intimate moment with support of minimal lighting at night.

The asymmetrically curved footpath intends to encourage the audience to discover the pavilion from various angles, as well as enhancing the pavilion’s swept geometry.