ONE OCEAN, soma's Thematic Pavilion for the 2012 EXPO Opens in Yeosu, Korea

The Thematic Pavilion “ONE OCEAN“ for the 2012 EXPO in Yeosu, South Korea (previously on Bustler) is scheduled to open later this week, May 12. The pavilion, a permanent building and one of the major facilities for the Yeosu EXPO, was designed by Austrian firm soma who won the international competition for the assignment back in 2009.

The pavilion's exhibitions will give the visitors overview and introduction to the EXPO’s theme, The Living Ocean and Coast. The aim of soma’s design was to create an iconic landmark that embodies the theme of the EXPO with architectural means, including a sustainable climate concept and a bionic kinetic facade which - in the truest EXPO spirit - points the way to the future.

Kinetic Facade following a bionic principle - Thematic Pavilion for EXPO 2012 Yeosu South Korea by soma

Following are first photos of the completed pavilion (click here for construction photos and a detailed project description).

Project Details:

Project: “One Ocean“, Thematic Pavilion EXPO 2012 Yeosu, South-Korea
Client: The Organizing Committee of Expo 2012 Yeosu
Location: Yeosu, South Korea
Area: 6,900 square meter
Construction: September 2010 - February 2012
Architect: soma, Austria
Local partner: dmp, Seoul
Local representative: Ralf Zabel

Consultants:

Kinetic facade: Knippers Helbig, Stuttgart
Climate design: Transsolar, Stuttgart München New York
Structural engineer: Brandstätter ZT GmbH, Salzburg
Structural engineer CD Phase: Yeon and Partners
Light design: podpod, Vienna
Landscape: Soltos
Climate design (competition): Jan Cremers, Stuttgart