A wooden grid, reminiscent of traditional Japanese pavilions, frames an interior space within London’s Olympia district. The structure, overlooking the Grand Hall—which itself was built in 1885 and has been restored as part of a larger project of regeneration for the historic precinct—is part of London Design Festival 2024’s programming. Conceived by London-based furniture designer Rio Kobayashi in collaboration with structural engineer Webb Yates, the public installation marks some vital firsts: it is Kobayashi’s first design at such a scale, is the district’s first-ever LDF pavilion, and most vitally marks the innovative collaboration between a craftsperson and structural engineer at the scale of a design installation. The pavilion is also part of the ambitious scheme that hopes to rejuvenate Olympia as a thriving hub for events and exhibitions, with a masterplan by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC. The district is set to reopen in 2025 with a host of facilities aimed at increasing visitor footfall to the region.

The pavilion design stresses this state of flux evident in its location, through a design that juxtaposes traditional structures and contemporary engineering, and a modular logic that allows it to adapt to different contexts. As the official release states, “Off The Shelf embraces [a] creative space in transition, offering a place where people, ideas, and even materials can meet and intermingle.” The structure remains open from September 14, 2024, to February 28, 2025, as a public space to showcase works by other prominent craftspeople and designers, with the inaugural design exhibition and cultural programme at the venue titled On The Shelf, curated by arts organisation Company, Place. The exhibition features an installation by artist and biologist Cynthia Fan which draws on the Japanese designer’s ideas for the pavilion: of creating a space from which to observe nature. The art installation featuring ‘living sculptures’ which seem to be scrapped together from organic materials, invites visitors to suspend their perceived notions of the differences between art and nature.

Further, the pavilion space will host various activities delving into different practices of craftsmanship—both traditional and innovative—and connections with nature through interactive workshops, tours and talks. These design events include the launch of a zine by Kobayashi, workshops by Fan, industrial designer Flavia Brandle, design research practice Studio Sanne Visser, Steve Webb and designer Liang Jung Chen.

The wooden architecture of the structure, conspicuous in its simplicity—a simple wooden grid defining an interior space as opposed to the grandiosity of Heatherwick’s redevelopment of Olympia Hall—takes inspiration from traditional Japanese wooden homes and is constructed using a timber and stone sway frame. A recurring theme in Kobayashi’s furniture practice is an exploration of Japanese culture, interpreted through the use of unconventional materials or his whimsical aesthetics. Having been born in Japan to a family of artisans and taking up carpentry at an early age, this discipline has often guided his work. This attention to detail and craft defines the pavilion design, which is constructed with almost no screws, joints or alterations to the singular components. Instead, the structure uses modular design components cleverly weighted, prestressed or clamped together. This also ensures the structure can be easily dismantled into individual parts and reused or resold.

The reconfigurable quality of the structure presents a range of uses, with the circular design presenting itself as a prototype that could potentially be deployed to construct structures in cases of inadequate shelter, lack of housing or in efforts of rehabilitation after natural disasters. Hence, apart from its focus on sustainability, the pavilion showcases a way to create that is less harmful, easy to build and accessible. On the occasion of the pavilion’s opening at this year's design festival in London, STIR spoke to Kobayashi and Steve Webb of Webb Yates Engineers about the installation’s design, its use as a sustainable prototype and how it fits into its historic context.

Mrinmayee Bhoot: Given that this installation is your first large-scale project of this nature, could you elaborate on how your previous work and experience with carpentry or furniture making has informed your approach to the project?

Rio Kobayashi: This project is essentially an extension of furniture making. The structural framework serves as a big shelving unit that sets the stage for a vibrant hub of activity, from exhibitions to workshops to performances. Given the scale of the project, the idea of collaboration came naturally. It's inspiring to work with engineer experts Webb Yates, as well as creators from other fields, Cynthia Fan, Liang-Jung Chen and Studio Sanne Visser to name a few. 

Mrinmayee: A core focus for Webb Yates Engineers has been sustainable construction. Have you worked on timber structures such as the one used for the pavilion previously? In what ways do you believe such structural systems could be adapted in more permanent constructions?

Steve Webb: Adopting the constraints of not screwing, glueing or cutting forced us to clamp and pre-stress the structure. The threaded rods essentially clamp all of the vertical blocks and roof beams together, making the structure solid. This is an unusual and experimental approach that might indicate a way to keep materials in their best condition for longer so they can be used again and again. People often criticise pavilion making as creating irresponsible, wasteful temporary structures - this is something that we have tried to address here. 

Mrinmayee: I’d also like to focus on the materials used for the pavilion construction. When we speak about circular design, I feel the question of materiality is as vital as the process. Could you tell us about the materials you’ve used for the project?

Rio and Webb: We have used, mainly low carbon, local natural materials with the least possible elaboration. The timber is Douglas fir from a UK forest, the rope is hemp and the stone is from Albion Stone, which mines limestone from Portland and references the facade design of the original Olympia building. As far as we can, we have tried to borrow the materials, trying to avoid cutting, gluing and screwing so that these off the shelf products can be returned to the shelf unaltered. 

We love the idea of not damaging or throwing materials away. The system has broad applications for temporary reconfigurable structures for many applications. The materials that remain at the end of the event can be a challenge for another designer to figure out how they can be reorganised in an interesting and useful way.

Mrinmayee: Building on that, could you also tell us how the collaboration between the two of you played out? What was the prototyping process for the pavilion and did you face any challenges while working out the structure?

Rio and Steve: The parallel between this being a large-scale furniture design whilst being a small-scale building creates a very fertile ground for collaboration between a furniture maker and an engineer. We employed a blend of techniques from different scales not normally seen together which made the design process a lot of fun.

Mrinmayee: The context for the installation seems quite relevant to the project. In what ways does the design respond to the history of the site and Olympia at large?

Rio and Steve: The original Victorian hall would have been at the avant-garde of architecture and engineering, embracing the coal age as it was then. We, in a far more modest way, tried to find a new avant-garde for the age of sustainability by getting inspired by Olympia’s existing form - a site which itself is undergoing a metamorphosis to transform into a new destination for culture and creativity.

Mrinmayee: Lastly, could you tell us how the exhibition On The Shelf plays into your intervention? Are there certain analogies/common threads one could draw on between the design philosophies of the two?

Rio and Steve: We wanted to design a space that other practitioners could come and be a part of. The grid frame provides lots of shelves in which our friends can display their work. Artist and plant scientist Cynthia Fan is the first artist to present her work On The Shelf and has created a number of living sculptures in and around the pavilion. 

In its 22nd edition, the London Design Festival—including its 11 design districts, partners and the design fair Material Matters—stirs the city with a dynamic programme of installations, exhibitions, workshops, talks and more. Follow STIR at London Design Festival 2024, as we continue to bring the best of the festival's offerings as media partners along with our own initiatives across the city, including our partners Shoreditch Design Triangle, Mayfair, the Global Design Forum, and more across Brompton, Battersea, Chelsea, Dalston to Stokey and Bankside.