‘Between Forests and Skies’
Architect: Nebbia Works
Location: London, England
Type: Installation
Year: 2021
Photographs: Ed Reeve
The following description is courtesy of the architects. Emerging London-based architecture and 3D design studio Nebbia Works has unveiled ‘Between Forests and Skies’, an immersive pavilion at the V&A as part of the 2021 London Design Festival (18 – 26 September).
The practice was commissioned by the V&A and En+ Group, the world’s largest producer of low-carbon aluminium and independent hydropower, to design a pavilion to profile the fundamental role of low-carbon raw materials in creating a more sustainable world.
The pavilion is positioned over the pool in the centre of The John Madejski Garden at the V&A, where the shimmering qualities of the aluminium surfaces interplay with the reflections of the pool. Visitors are invited to enter and interact with the pavilion, offering a moment of reflection between the forest of aluminium legs and upwards to the sky through the intricate cut-and-fold form of the structure.
Light, durable, and almost infinitely recyclable, aluminium is already ubiquitous in its use. Developments in decarbonising its production are critical to a low-carbon future across a vast array of industries. The pavilion is made from aluminium produced using En+ Group’s unique inert anode technology which generates a thousand times less emissions than the current average for the industry, and is powered by renewable electricity. Direct and indirect smelter emissions are at 0.01, compared to 12 t CO2/t Al for the industry average.
‘Between Forests and Skies’ uses a minimal volume of material to create a seemingly delicate yet robust self-supporting structure to demonstrate the unique qualities of aluminium. Minimal cuts and bends to the sheet material transform it from a 2D object into a complex 3D forest-like space, which mirrors and distorts the shifts and changes of the day.
It is constructed of 27 individual pieces of 3m x 1.5m x 20mm aluminium plates (dimensions dictated by the access and loading restrictions through the museum). The legs are waterjet-cutouts of each sheet, peeled down from the canopy to open up views to the sky. The 27 pieces are bolted together with an array of circular connection plates attached to the top surface. This system means that the pavilion can be easily dismantled, relocated and rebuilt.
The pavilion builds on Nebbia Works’ previous investigations into the qualities of aluminium as demonstrated in their Tighten Table Series, a range of household, display and exhibition tables each created from a single sheet of hand-polished, recycled aluminium, manually bent and tensioned with ratchet straps. It further explores the innate strength of aluminium coupled with algorithmically solved leg positions to create a self-supporting structure which touches the ground lightly.
‘Between Forests and Skies’ will be installed at the V&A throughout London Design Festival, and remain there until 16 October. At the end of its life cycle, it will be smelted back into aluminium ingot for a multitude of other uses.
Brando Posocco, Director, Nebbia Works, said: “It is an honour to have been selected for this prestigious commission for LDF, joining a legacy which includes Kengo Kuma, Frida Escobedo and Zaha Hadid. As a studio, we are conscious of the provenance of the materials we specify and the agency we have as designers and specifiers to advocate for low-carbon materials and manufacturing. This project has been tracked from its extraction to production, manufacture and installation; it has been rewarding to work on a commission which explores the unique qualities and life cycle of one single material.”
Madhav Kidao, Director, Nebbia Works, said: “Aluminium can be perceived as mechanical, machined and cold. Conceptually we wanted to introduce character and romance into the material through physical manipulation. We were keen to create a structure that encapsulates the feeling of precise irregularity, producing an environment composed of mechanically identical but spatially random components, emulating what we experience in the natural world. The experience of the pavilion is a dreamlike state between the sky and the reflection of the sky; the world and the reflection of the world.”
Lord Barker, Executive Chairman of En+ Group, said: “En+ Group has been delighted to work with the V&A and the talented designers at Nebbia Works to produce a truly thought-provoking piece of art. We are pleased to launch this piece at the 2021 London Design Festival, which shares our focus on improving climate awareness. Ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, the pavilion serves as a prominent, visual reminder of the really critical role that low-carbon aluminium needs to play if we are to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and start to turn the tide on climate change.”
Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, said: “As the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance, the V&A is approaching the climate crisis with an ethos of urgent responsibility and collaboration to help inspire innovative and creative responses. Our ambition is to explore the ideas and realities of what
environmental sustainability means across generations, locations and societies. As the one-time Museum of Manufacture, we are proud to be partnering with En+ on this exciting material exploration of low carbon aluminium, and we look forward to seeing this beautiful pavilion on display at the V&A for London Design Festival.”
Meneesha Kellay, Project Commissioner and Curator, said: “Nebbia Works have created a truly stunning sculptural pavilion constructed from the lowest carbon aluminium the world has ever produced. The simplicity of the design – using a minimal amount of cuts to transform 2D sheets into a 3D space – belies its complexity. Nebbia Works were selected from a competitive two-stage invited tender process, their pavilion is the centrepiece of an exciting V&A curated programme featuring majority emerging designers addressing some of the biggest challenges facing society today.”
