COCOON FS PAVILION_Pohl Architects

The illustrious Cocoon_FS pavilion was constructed from leaf-like panels of fiber-reinforced polymer. Fifteen original base modules were designed and a total of 220 modules were manufactured. Each panel fastens to the next to form a super strong, self-supporting dome. Its translucent shell admits light during the day and illuminates its surroundings at night.


The temporary featherweight structure weighs in at just 1650 pounds and measures under ten feet tall. Both exterior and interior walls carry the same variety of pores, ribs, minute spines, marginal ridges and elevations that characterize the silica cell wall of the slimy brown surface algae that inspired it. Researchers at PlanktonTech used microtechnology to transfer the richly patterned shells of the plankton to a 3D model. Those models were then analyzed and optimized using various computations to unlock biomechanical qualities and repurpose them for architectural design.

Algae is growing in popularity among biofuel enthusiasts, food developers, and entrepreneurs, but as far as we know, the Cocoon_FS is the first prefab to take its design cues from phytoplankton.

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Cocoon_FS: Pohl Architects Unveils Prefab Plankton-Inspired Pod Building in Germany Prefab Plankton Building Cocoon_FS by Pohl Architects - Gallery Page 2 – Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

http://inhabitat.com/cocoon_fs-pohl-architects-unveils-prefab-plankton-inspired-pod-building-in-germany/prefab-plankton-building-cocoon_fs-by-pohl-architects-5/?extend=1