barrisol pavilion + lighting by ross lovegrove at biennale interieur

barrisol pavilion + lighting by ross lovegrove at biennale interieur
image © designboom

barrisol is known for its stretch-foil ceilings and walls which have been applied to major international projects including: the ferrari museum by future systems in modena, italy; the aquatics centre by zaha hadid in london, UK; and london’s bond street louis vuitton shop by peter marino. to express the innovation and versatility of their product, the french company invited ross lovegrove to create a pavilion and series of lighting objects for their presentation at the biennale interieur 2014 in kortrijk, belgium.

installation view of barrisol ‘manta’ and ‘infinite loop’ lighting
image courtesy of barrisol

‘manta’ employs barrisol foils at varying intensities to create a layered, acoustic dampening, lighting option
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the installation itself is comprised of four large lighting objects that each balance aesthetic form with subtle illumination. ‘manta’ draws its name from the aquatic animal that it also takes formal references from. the design employs barrisol foils at varying intensities in order to shape a highly layered, acoustic dampening and uniform lighting. its thin framework creates the shape of a rhomboid, which allows for a number of modular arrangements. in doing so, ‘manta’ offers a lightweight alternative to hung ceilings in large spaces, such as in airports, factories and halls.

‘manta’ draws its formal references from the aquatic life it is named after
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barrisol ‘infinite loop’ lighting by ross lovegrove
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the ‘infinite loop’ family is composed of three suspended lighting concepts — alpha, beta, sigma — that are highly volumetric and bring forth a synergy between barrisol’s stretch material, LEDs and a metal framework. with its name implying how it is also constructed, the ‘infinite loop’ products are each made from a single continuous metal loop, which contain LED strip for illumination. each one ranges in shape — from horizontal to more vertical — and provides the potential for customization, making it ideal for a variety of architectural spaces such as hotel lobbies and high-res atriums.

‘infinite loop’ – alpha lamp
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detail of the metal frame
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underside of ‘infinite loop’ – beta lamp
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general view of the beta lamp which features a more conical shape
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‘infinite loop’ lighting family
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the interior of the pavilion expresses the flexibility and durability of barrisol’s stretchable foils
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the lighting collection by ross lovegrove is presented within a pavilion also designed by the british creative. the 12 x 12 meter square room, that is 7 meters high, is covered in hexagonal barrisol tiles of a reflective mirrored material. while on first glance, the external walls appear flat, but upon closer inspection one sees that the golden mirrored surface is in fact soft, and stretched, punctuated by doweling which seems to try and push itself inwards and outwards — expressing the flexibility and durability of barrisol stretch foil.

‘barrisol pavilion’ by ross lovegrove
image courtesy of barrisol

the ‘barrisol pavilion’ is a cubed structure that highlights the possible applications of the company’s material innovations, specifically, acoustic dampening, mirroring and exceptional translucency; outlining new avenues in which to take lighting, mirror and structural design. the exterior is a composition of honeycomb-shaped and colored tiles which belie the soft material used to build it; while inside, the room takes on a serene white, tactile form. to achieve such a precision with a project of this architectural scale, lovegrove employed barrisol’s manufacturing technology, such as numerically controlled cutting and digitally controlled three dimensional bending machines to achieve the installation.

the exterior of the pavilion is composed of honeycomb-shaped and colored tiles
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‘barrisol has great potential to explore organic and linear spaces. our studio, committed to innovation and modernity, has focused on amplifying its values of acoustic dampening, reflectivity, elasticity, diffusion and lightness. this installation opens up an aesthetic territory between the deep ocean and deep space, forming a dialogue for the 21st century between aquatic biomorphism and NASA-like intelligent systems.’ – ross lovegrove

up close look at the exterior of the ‘barrisol pavilion’
image courtesy of barrisol