Tonkin Liu picked to design London Festival of Architecture pavillion

Architect Tonkin Liu is to design a pavilion that will be showcased at this year's London Festival of Architecture.

The appointment was announced today by the organisers of the festival, which runs from 20 June to 20 July, and Corus.

Tonkin Liu’s ‘Fresh Flower’ pavillion comprises 11 petals that rise off the ground, arching around a central stalk to create a space within which a moveable stage rotates.

Visitors enter the pavilion via gaps between the petals, which can be reconfigured between Festival ‘Hubs’ to provide a different emphasis and focus depending on the event, location or weather. LED lights rising from the stalk will illuminate the pavilion.

It will be constructed entirely from Corus products including tube and sheet steel. When erected the floor area of the structure will cover 97m², with the petals ranging from 2.7 to 4.3m high.

Matt Teague, Senior Architect, Corus said: “Corus is excited to be working with the Festival in the commission of Tonkin Liu to provide a spectacular, thought provoking and inspiring temporary venue. The brief required the architects to use materials appropriately and with restraint; every material, junction and process has been considered."

Anna Liu, director of Tonkin Liu, said: “The challenge was to create a structure that could be re-used at each of the five locations, successfully reflecting the different character of each. Inspiration for the solution came from the age-old precedent set by the Rath Yatra temple in India, part of which is put on huge wooden wheels and paraded amongst a procession across the town once a year.”

Tonkin Liu recently designed the exhibition space for the V&A’s Spring exhibition China Design Now.