Yeosu Spanish Pavilion | External Reference Architects

Yeosu Spanish Pavilion: “The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities” the title for the Yeosu Expo 2012 located in Yeosu, Korea aims to pay tribute to the coastal and ocean regions. “Spain Explores” designed by External Reference Architects is the exhibit held by Spain that hopes to illustrate their geological discoveries as well as their rich historical traditions.

The exhibit consists of four main portions starting near the entrance hall that portrays the route by which Spanish voyagers took. The second part shows the Spanish sea expeditions, Colombo’s, Malaspina’s and Malaspina 2010’s Expeditions, which was than  further developed by Hesperides’ crew.

These events are shown through three glasses, with the assistance of visual graphics and new technologies to enhance the experience. It illustrates the settlement of two tubes to portray the depths of the sea. The third portion called the Deep Ocean room consists of an array of lit florescent containers that also contains samples from the oceans’ bottom, approximately 5000m deep.

The use of genuine marine samples that were collected through a tubular container allowed scientist to make interesting discoveries about Earth’s vast biodiversity as well as assess the climatic changes that have affected the oceans. As visitors enter this stage of the exhibit they are instantly immersed in sound, lighting and video interactions, surrounding them in an underwater atmosphere.

The fourth phase consists of a 11 meter Dymaxion map that illustrates the data collected from the Malaspina 2010 Expedition as well as Hesperides’ findings.  The additional use of lighting generated from the map creates a rhythmic movement that quickly engages the viewers.  The general intention of the pavilion was to share and present global issues that affect the marine environment at a larger and interactive scale.