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Elytra Pavilion

The V&A presents in its John Madejski Garden a lightweight biomimetic pavilion inspired by the forewing shells of flying beetles, in collaboration with the University of Stuttgart.

V&A and the University of Stuttgart, Elytra Filament Pavilion, 2016

The V&A marks the start of its Engineering Season with the unveiling of the Elytra Filament Pavilion. The installation is the outcome of four years of ground-breaking research on the integration of architecture, engineering and biomimicry principles, in collaboration with the University of Stuttgart and assembled on site in the V&A’s John Madejski Garden.

The project explores how biological fibre systems can be transferred to architecture. The 200sqm pavilion structure is inspired by lightweight construction principles found in nature such as the fibrous structures of the forewing shells of flying beetles known as elytra. Elytra’s canopy is made up of 40 hexagonal component cells. On average they weigh 45kg each and take an average of three hours to make.

The pavilion will grow and change its configuration over the course of the V&A Engineering Season in response to anonymous data on how visitors use and move under the canopy. This, as well as structural data, will be captured by real-time sensors installed in its canopy fibres. Throughout the season the design process will be mapped and made available online. On 17 and 18 June and 22 September, visitors will be able to see the pavilion evolve as new components are fabricated live in the garden by a Kuka robot.