London Festival of Architecture 2016: stainless steel rods support a tactile system of spinning bamboo pinwheels inside this east London pavilion by design studio Five Line Projects (+ slideshow).
Called The Energy Pavilion, the temporary structure is this year's edition of the Triumph Pavilion – an annual project run by competition organiser ArchiTriumph – and is located at the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green.
It comprises a dense arrangement of stainless steel poles sandwiched between a cross-laminated timber platform and a polished aluminium roof.
Threaded onto the poles are propeller-shaped pinwheels which, when twisted, create a ripple of motion through wheels on adjacent poles – similar to some traditional children's toys.
"The Pinwheel Pavilion came with a mission to uncover the potential energy that a single action triggers in the community," explained architect Laura Virto, one of the six team members of east London-based Five Line Projects.
For maximum effect, the pinwheels are systematically aligned so that the movement of one sparks a chain reaction that changes the whole pavilion.
Children and members of the public are encouraged to walk through and spin the wheels, so that the structure is permanently in motion.
"The main purpose is to engage people to make the pinwheels spin by transmitting energy to them, helping them to realise how an action as simple as a single push can trigger a grander reaction," Virto told Dezeen.
"Through public interaction, the structure reinterprets the notion of energy and supports the belief that people are the most prominent force that propels society's progress," she said.
Each cog is made from bamboo. "The choice of bamboo was based on its weather resistant properties and the captivating sound that it produces when the wheels push each other," added Virto.
The Energy Pavilion was unveiled last week to coincide with the London Festival of Architecture and will remain in place for the duration of the month-long, citywide event.
ArchiTriumph put out an international open call to architects, designers, graduates and students to find a designer for this year's pavilion, which aims to provide a platform for innovative new creative companies.
In 2014, IPT Architects created a wooden rib cage-like structure, while last year's creation by Nonscale was designed to operate as a sundial.
Other temporary pavilions built every year in London include the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, which this year was designed by Bjarke Ingels.
Photography is by Sergio Grazia and Luc Boegly.
Project credits:
Architect: Five Line Projects
Structural engineer: Arup
Project coordination: ArchiTriumph
