Follow us on twitter! twitter.com/archdaily

Yeosu Expo 2012 / Nicoletti Associati

By Karen Cilento — Filed under: Awarded Competitions , News , , ,
 

12531_4_great%20blue4big

Studio Nicoletti Associati’s design for an oceanic pavilion placed third in the Yeosu Expo.  The pavilion, which was conceived as a Great Blue Whale hurling itself out of the port, intends to represent the Expo’s theme: The Living Ocean and Coast. The pavilion draws attention to the fundamental influence of the planet’s oceans and coasts resources, and how dangerous it is for such a fragile ecosystem, to ignore them. The jury added that the pavilion has “a strong and powerful form that would become instantly recognizable. The theme of the Expo is symbolically represented with a shape drawn from marine life. The image of the pavilion is consistent with the theme of the ocean. Its fluid shape celebrates the nature of water and the marine life that has adapted to it. It makes a very simple but powerful metaphorical relationship. The exhibition space is very practical for post-use.”

More images of the pavilion after the break.

As seen on World Architecture News.

12531_5_great%20blue5big

12531_3_great%20blue3big

12531_2_great%20blue2big

12531_1_great%20blue1big

12552_6_one%20ocean1

 

26 comments »

alucidwake says:

its’ symmetry confuses me when i look at the perspectives… seems like it doesnt want to be. other than that, their ability to throw sex in my face was quite successful

 
# November 7, 2009 at 22:58
kp says:

The form is pleasant, but that’s all that’s mentioned in the comments listed here. I hope there’s more to it than form. I think its a dull, obvious metaphor. The rendering shows an interesting sectional quality. Wish there was a bit more substance to the comments by jurors. “A Great Blue Whale hurling itself out of the port?” Wow.

 
# November 7, 2009 at 23:03
Jason says:

Absolutely horrendous.

 
# November 8, 2009 at 00:53
wpgmb says:

sigh. projects like this make me question why i’m an architecture student. this lame “blue whale” metaphor i find almost offensive.

 
# November 8, 2009 at 01:13
bill says:

Looks like a squid.

 
# November 8, 2009 at 01:35
Ksee Can says:

I don’t see why some think it’s dull. I think it’s a simple but great idea to associate the Big whale image and marine life for and exhibition center! I recognized right away the whale shape and mouth, and the inside looks like a trip inside the whale’s body, (it also refers somehow to ancient bible story, the man swllowed by a whale)… It’s a great concept. Architecture shouldn’t be just standard cubic or ‘acceptable’ forms…open your mind a little for more creativiy, even if you think a whale is too easy. But, hey, someone had to think about it and do it! They took the risk and the Jury loved the project. So do I.

 
# November 8, 2009 at 03:32
titisnurabadi says:

it looks like the one i saw, zaha hadid??

 
# November 8, 2009 at 04:12
amonle says:

Lazy, lazy icon-ism. Architecture students look away now (opps, too late)

 
# November 8, 2009 at 05:03
sizaman says:

lame…

 
# November 8, 2009 at 06:55
abe says:

What the …

 
# November 8, 2009 at 08:20
Alexander says:

WONDERFUL AND HARMONIOUS!!!
The architecture of the square has disappeared,
is old more for the future!!!

This is the future – fluidity like water!!!

 
# November 8, 2009 at 09:31
    alejandro pinyol says:

    BE WATER, MY FRIEND:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW-cnizLDEE

    note 1 : let me the first to announce you this isn’t neither the FUTURE, nor a HARMONIOUS blessing, it is rather a WONDERFUL waste of time.

    note 2: Archdaily, this counts as yellow journalism, skip us this next time, please.

     
    # November 8, 2009 at 10:41
Kris says:

It would be great if we could read the presentation-boards so we can understand it a little bit more instead of critizicing because of the visualizations.

 
# November 8, 2009 at 10:16

if the theme of the expo is “The Living Ocean and Coast”, it seems peculiar that this huge pavilion is to be erected in the water, thus harming the coastline, destructing the natural flora and fauna and diverting the coastal streams.

 
# November 8, 2009 at 11:21
    yo. yeah. says:

    Im pretty sure every building does that…

     
    # November 9, 2009 at 14:52
minos says:

without words a project with many flaws

 
# November 8, 2009 at 17:10
norm says:

you’ve been living in a dream world, neo.

 
# November 9, 2009 at 12:33
utopianrobot says:

isn’t this actually the spaceship from V?

 
# November 9, 2009 at 14:43
zero iron says:

I think, the second runner(Ocean Arch) is the best.

http://www.yeosuexpo.org/eng/exhibition/exhibition_03.asp

 
# November 10, 2009 at 03:10
limil says:

my concept is a whale therefor it looks like a whale… its not even about opening your mind…LAME

 
# November 10, 2009 at 04:26
Cristian says:

in some renders look like the U.S.S Enterprise
go kirk!
saludos!

 
# November 11, 2009 at 08:47
Timothy says:

Again, nice renderings. But what about scale and proportion? Are we architects loosing our roots? Fine… we have computers and manufacturing skills like never before. But please… draw your projects “materialized” at a scale of 1/20 or 1/5… draw a little man/woman in the same sheet… you will see… it is just another vision… very nice… but not architecture.

 
# November 11, 2009 at 12:31
Ingrid says:

….. how is it that a whale is better than a cube exactly ?

 
# November 18, 2009 at 05:30
Aya says:

I think it’s very lame to design an oceanic pavillion looking like a whale! Even first year architecture students can do better than this! I’m glad it didnt win the competition!

 
# November 23, 2009 at 13:54

Links to this article »

Leave a Reply »

Want to have your own avatar? Get yours at Gravatar.

Latest Comments »

One of the best projects for P.S.1 until now! Great diagram![+]
the first thing I thought: tarantino moment the second thing I thought: tarantino...[+]
Eğitim, kültür, sanat, mizah, tarih ne ararsan nezih ve şeffaf..en iyi yapıtlar...[+]
E somos dois. Boring![+]
and I thought the Postmodernism movement was dead…[+]
i think the basic idea breaking the appartments in puzzle like pieces to form unit,...[+]
love the picts, it has an ethereal quality to it for sure.[+]
From Dusk Till Dawn[+]
David Basulto on Rosa Muerta / Robert Stone:
Why not? If the author wants to decorate it that way, it’s ok. Actually, I...[+]
Haven’t a clue. I was unable to force myself to care enough to finish his novella....[+]
It is good– better than jurgen meyer: simpler...[+]
A pretentious, egotistical blowhard, and in the field of architecture? How utterly...[+]

Browse by category »

Our partners »

Browse by date »

Friends »

Proudly hosted at »