steel arrows, rods, and cubes intertwine to form michael jantzen's vast protein pavilion

michael jantzen unites science, art, and architecture

Vast and winding, Michael Jantzen’s Protein Pavilion draws inspiration from the folds of protein molecules to present an interactive space of learning. The steel structure, painted white, yellow, and black intertwines public art, science, technology, and architecture, conceived to be installed at major science centers as an art and science exhibit. In this case, the pavilion would be equipped with comprehensive information about the science of protein folding and molecules that visitors could access through their phones while they walk around, through, and under the canopy. In its design, the pavilion celebrates the beauty and complexity of the science of protein molecules. While it does not visualize any specific molecule, it weaves together a dynamic composite of elements that symbolize the broader science of folded protein molecules.

all images courtesy of Michael Jantzen

protein pavilion celebrates the beauty of protein folding

Within every cell in the human body, billions of microscopic molecular machines are hard at work — allowing our eyes to detect light, our neurons to fire, and the unique instructions of our DNA to be deciphered. Currently, there are over 200 million identified proteins, and counting, each possessing a unique 3D shape that dictates its function. Each protein unravels like a string of beads, made of a sequence of different chemicals known as amino acids, assembled according the genetic instructions of an organism’s DNA. Attraction and repulsion between the 29 different types of amino acids cause the string to fold in a feat of spontaneous origami, forming the intricate curls, loops, and pleats of a protein’s 3D structure. 

‘We have discovered more about the world than any other civilization before us. But we have been stuck on this one problem, how do proteins fold up. How do proteins go from a string of amino acids to a compact shape that acts as a machine and drives life?’ questions architect Michael Jantzen. However now, with the advent of AI, protein folding has now been resolved, he suggests. The Protein Pavilion is a design proposal for a large, dynamic structure that celebrates the research being done in this field of protein folding, and the inherent beauty and complexity of the protein molecule.

created to be installed at major science centers as an art/science exhibit

the pavilion celebrates the beauty and complexity of the science of protein molecules

the steel structure intertwines public art, science, technology, and architecture

‘How do proteins go from a string of amino acids to a compact shape that acts as a machine and drives life?’ 

as visitors navigate the pavilion, can access scientific information about the molecules through their phones

an intricate, immersive form

project info:

name: Protein Pavilion
designer: Michael Jantzen

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom