“GEEK pavilion” is a virtual pavilion for the popular science festival “GEEK Picnic 2020”, which was held online for the first time due to the pandemic. The inspiration came from the 2D game “Conway's Game of Life”, created by mathematician John Conway in 1970. The place of action in it is the built Universe, consisting of cells with behavior based on the principle of cellular automaton (discrete mathematical model). By the game rules, cells are born, die, and move, forming certain patterns. The choice of a starting point for “GEEK pavilions” is logical: SA lab has been analyzing cellular automaton for many years, and the research’s results formed the basis of several projects, such as a quarter, the renovation of the Russian pavilion for the Venice Biennale and a wooden summer pavilion. In the “GEEK pavilions,” SA lab has translated the principle of a 2D game into a three-dimensional space.
“GEEK pavilions” is a vertical cell structure. The position and behavior of each cell is determined by the relationship with neighboring cells / floors.
The player can be both a passive observer of this process and an active participant in it: you can move around the perimeter of an architectural object, completing tasks in searching for prizes or making arbitrary routes online.
Blue GEEK pavilion shows another way - from top to bottom. Cells acted with different rules, motion mechanics and architecture design have been modified. Architects added flying elements and staircases, like in Hogwarts, randomly changing direction to make the game more unpredictable. A walking through the twilight pavilion made the game more intriguing.
“GEEK pavilions” is a prime example of architecture in the digital age, presenting participants with a new spatial and educational experience. The digital environment gives architecture plenty of opportunities, allowing creating safe public spaces and interactive engagement of an audience, regardless of the location of the participants.
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