I HERITAGE
Futuristic pavilion lands in Jordan’s Wadi Rum A desert pavilion that celebrates the heritage of hospitality in the spirit of tomorrow
A 3D printed wavy polymer mesh dome is causing a stir in the middle of the Jordanian desert. Not least because of its futuristic design, but the topography of its location – Wadi Rum in South Jordan, closely resembles that of Mars. The unusual shell-like structure was created by MEAN* (Middle East Architecture Network) as a desert pavilion to serve as an oasis of rest and communal gathering for visitors from all over the world. It wasn’t lost on the architects that the serene desert landscape had been a stage for many space-age movies such as ‘The Martian (2015)’, ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)’ and ‘The Last Days on Mars’. Taking reference from the lightweight geodesic dome system of ‘Mars Camp’ which is located on a plot near the site, the design team envisioned a novel system of 3D printed panels that can be deployed onto a CNC bent, steel pipe system.
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Designed with a unique overlap of Bedouin Heritage and Space-Age Technology “Our team utilized generative design methods to simulate a holistic structure: a hybrid of a 3D printed polymer shell on 3D printed concrete topography,” explained the architects behind the project.
