Combining elements of a sea turtle and the ubiquitous life saving stations that negotiate the transition from sea to land, Follow The Sun immerses visitors to the Osaka Expo in the sun-blessed beach culture of Australia.
Combining elements of a sea turtle and the ubiquitous life saving stations that negotiate the transition from sea to land, Follow The Sun immerses visitors to the Osaka Expo in the sun-blessed beach culture of Australia.
Sea turtles, and, in particular, the Leatherneck Turtle, are international travellers who migrate across vast oceanic distances, and are fitting ambassadors to host Australian sun-culture in Japan. The Leatherneck’s ‘carapace’, an elongated dome-like shell forms the central element of the pavilion design as a monumental yet lightweight shading device that shelters a series of smaller buildings below. The carapace doubles as an indigenous-inspired sun-shield providing moments of reflection and respite from the hustle and bustle of other Expo activities.
The design and experience of ‘Follow The Sun’ also draws inspiration from the architecture of Australia’s beach culture, the surf club, demonstrating our healthy and casual lifestyle. A truly civic space: open to all and bustling with beach cricket, sandcastles, sunbathing, and many other leisure and community activities all year round. Perched on the coast or sometimes even amongst the sand dunes, much like a sea turtle themselves, these buildings typically incorporate two levels: the lower provides cool shade against the intense beach sunshine; and an upper floor that acts as a lookout tower for the sea below.
In this proposal, the surf club typology is inverted, and made otherworldly, by refocusing attention on the story of the sea turtle under the shade of its carapace. A beachside pavilion for many species: it digs into the soft sand for shelter, relaxation, and connection with the landscape. The colour and patterning of The Pavilion plays with heritage surf club aesthetics, with the iconic yellow and red flags and the lifeguard uniform; and beach umbrellas and bathing boxes. The polychromy of towels, swimwear, and bodies at play also incorporates traditional knowledges, layering shimmering patterns informed by Indigenous storytelling across the rainbow below.
CategoryPublic Art & Architecture
Location Osaka Japan
StatusProposal
Year2022
CollaboratorsAndrew Walsh AM (Accolade), Glas Landscape Architecture, Keiji Ashizawa Design, Atelier One
PhotographyStudiobird, Bader (Bud) Rizk