[LONDON] Information Pavilion: The Trafalgar Relay by Dowling Duncan

The San Francisco office of Dowling Duncan has shared with us their entry to the [LONDON] Olympic Games Information Pavilion Competition (previously on Bustler) which secured them the Third Place (Bronze Medal anyone?). The proposal of a pavilion within London's Trafalgar Square during the 2012 Olympic Games takes literal references to the world of sports by incorporating a section of athletics track into the design. The concept was developed in collaboration with WN Design and Transparent House.

Project Description from the Architects:

Formed from a folded section of athletics track, The Trafalgar Relay captures the energy of the Summer Olympics with an instantly recognizable and visually captivating form. Visitors to Trafalgar Square are inspired to share in the action and excitement of the Games as they walk, run and play on the pavilion's surfaces while the latest Olympic news unfolds before them.

Designed to embody the spirit of the Games in both form and function – it is a fun and engaging structure that brings people from all over the world together to enjoy, share and marvel at the world’s greatest sporting event. 

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 that 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'.

The orientation of the pavilion is designed to respond to the square's established circulation. By providing an alternative route from the higher level of the square in front of the National Gallery to the lower plaza level the pavilion entices visitors to interact and engage with it and the various activities it houses. The pavilion's roof and ramp act as ideal viewing platforms for the live event display screen and news feed while providing a new perspective on Trafalgar Square. 

The fabric, structure and form of the building all support a sustainable design approach. The running track surfaces are made from Nike 'Grind' - an innovative, sustainable material fabricated from the outside rubber of recycled running shoes. Glulam beams provide one of the greenest, renewable structural solutions while the form of the pavilion is designed to maximize daylight exposure and provide cross-ventilation, keeping energy consumption minimal.

Project Credits:

Design Team: Dowling Duncan in collaboration with WN Design (Matthew Clare, Rob Duncan)
Main Visual: Transparent House (Krista Mollion, Nikolay Grozev)