International Competition. The challenge at Yeosu was to design a unique Off Shore World Expo facility focused on a vision for technologies and capabilities for a newly emerging Ocean based Economy. The Ocean Forest Pavilion operates as an educational facility, research institute and explorative centre in which to discover, research and learn to understand the ocean, its resources, its creatures, and potentials in new ways.

The concept is based around an architecture of fluid flows between coral-tubes, which provide islands of stillness within the flow – enabling people to absorb and process information. The coral-tubes provide an extension of that information transfer vertically up to rooftop, or below to the the sea acting as a tube of information to provide a richer learning environment. The network of hexagonal coral-tube towers provide a super efficient very strong structure from which floors and canopy roofs are cantilevered, but also provide tubes of space for light, air, services, lifts and stairs throughout.

Each coral-tube is an independent structural element which stands on the sea floor on its own foundation. The cumulative cluster of tubes can be easily added and adapted to provide for changing needs of public exhibition and education, versus scientific research and development. – once seeded the coral-tube forest will grow over time.