EXPLORE THE ‘THEMATIC PAVILION’ AT ARCHITECT’25 WITH 6 AREAS THAT GATHER DESIGNS FROM DESIGNERS THROUGH EXCITING MATERIALS AND DESIGNS
TEXT: NATHATAI TANGCHADAKORN
PHOTO & IMAGE COURTESY OF THE DESIGNER
(For Thai, press here)
For regular visitors of Architect Expo, the Thematic Pavilion is undoubtedly a familiar highlight—an immersive space where exhibitors and designers collaborate to create an exhibition truly worth experiencing. This year, Architect’25 presents an unprecedented six Thematic Pavilions, the largest number in the event’s history. Renowned design studios Looklen Architects, FLAT12x, pbm, ativich, POAR, and Architects & Associates (A&A) have partnered with leading brands to offer thought-provoking installations and fresh perspectives on materiality and design innovation.
Looklen Architects: Nuttapol Techopitch (Founder / Director of Looklen Architects)
Looklen Architects x S-ONE
Aluminum is a ubiquitous material in design, making it a challenge to present it in an entirely new light. Looklen Architects rises to this challenge by stripping aluminum back to its raw, industrial essence—revealing it as manufacturers see it before coating, spraying, or finishing processes alter its character. The design concept centers on showcasing bundled aluminum in its pure, untreated form, highlighting its raw beauty and structural potential. The pavilion’s architecture is anchored in a column-beam system, tilting at a 45-degree angle to introduce a sense of movement and dynamism.
The aluminum bundles are arranged in three modular lengths—6.35 meters, 5.35 meters, and 3.85 meters—while the beams and columns interweave along two additional axes to enhance structural integrity. This approach minimizes the need for perforation, ensuring that at the end of the exhibition, both the utilized aluminum and its offcuts remain in pristine condition, ready to be repurposed by manufacturers. Beyond its striking architectural framework, the pavilion extends the exploration of aluminum through custom-designed furniture and multimedia installations, offering visitors unexpected perspectives on this everyday material.
FLAT12x x Vanachai Group
Plywood, a cornerstone of Vanachai Group’s product line, takes center stage in a striking tunnel installation that rises as a commanding architectural feature. This structure is composed of overlapping plywood sheets with varying properties, meticulously layered atop a steel framework. Designed to highlight the versatility and flexibility of plywood, the tunnel’s sweeping curvature not only showcases the material’s potential but also seamlessly integrates a seating area, inviting visitors to converse and engage with the space.
Within this semi-sculptural passage, Vanachai’s narrative unfolds. The spatial configuration naturally guides movement along a linear path while allowing multiple points of entry and exit. At the pavilion’s far end, a symbolic sculptural piece further embodies the brand’s identity, reinforcing the installation as both a storytelling medium and an integral part of the story itself.
pbm x Nippon Paint
From the color wheel, a familiar design tool, to a pavilion reimagined as a wheel of time, pbm transforms color into a metaphor for life’s evolving emotions and experiences. By expanding this concept into three-dimensional space, layers of color extend outward, forming an installation that invites visitors to step into its core. Against a pristine white backdrop, light and pigment interact, while the pavilion’s open-slatted structure and fluid, curving form introduce another key element—shadow—which heightens emotion and deepens human connection.
pbm reinterprets shades of color as expressions of emotion, translating them into a tangible, immersive experience that transforms the pavilion into a living canvas. This vision aligns seamlessly with Nippon Paint’s ‘The Future City’ concept, an exploration of innovation and forward-thinking design. Designed to inspire self-discovery, the pavilion invites visitors to explore color beyond mere hues—embracing texture, depth, and the interplay of light and shadow, along with other elements, to reveal a richer, multidimensional expression of beauty.
ativich x VG
ativich reinterprets the roof, a fundamental architectural element throughout history, through a pavilion that blends sharp geometric forms and familiar roofing materials with the dynamic qualities of a kaleidoscope. Inspired by the interplay of mirrored surfaces and vibrant materials, the design expands beyond a singular viewpoint, transforming into an engaging, ever-shifting environment. Unlike a traditional kaleidoscope, where visuals change through rotation, here the pavilion responds to movement—allowing each visitor’s position and perspective to shape a unique visual experience.
Suspended above The Forest of Mirrors, a robust yet hidden framework supports the structure’s expansive roof and oversized louvers. Though substantial in form, the framework is discreetly integrated, lending the pavilion a sense of weightlessness. This interplay of mass and perception not only showcases the roofing materials’ adaptability but also defines the pavilion’s crisp, architectural presence.
POAR x WOODDEN
Designed by POAR, this pavilion explores how to convey the meticulous craftsmanship behind WOODDEN’s approach to selecting and refining wood—where each piece is carefully shaped one at a time. To honor this precision, the design introduces a refined stainless-steel shelving system, engineered to keep the focus on the wood’s organic grain and natural beauty without distraction. This shelving solution also serves a functional role, minimizing moisture buildup when stacking materials. Each wooden piece is arranged in varying lengths, emphasizing the uniqueness of its natural patterns and textures.
On the opposite side of the pavilion, a sculpturally contoured gable roof introduces a distinct architectural element, expanding the display area and incorporating three-dimensional wall detailing that adds depth and complexity. The shelving and gable structure subtly lean into one another, forming a structural relationship that redistributes weight and creates a narrow, corridor-like space within the pavilion. This thoughtful arrangement allows visitors to observe the wood’s textures from multiple vantage points, whether up close or from afar.
A&A x Fameline
A&A presents My Time, My Space, a concept that encapsulates Fameline’s evolution in product innovation and business development. These two ideas materialize in the pavilion’s architectural design, each offering a distinct spatial experience. The first, My Time, takes shape as a sweeping aluminum structure at the pavilion’s entrance—a fluid, curving form that evokes the continuous passage of time. This element represents Fameline’s current achievements, serving as the foundation for the company’s future advancements and ongoing progress.
The second, My Space, emphasizes the role and significance of materials in architectural design. Conceived as a versatile cladding wall, it showcases the adaptability and creative potential of cladding solutions. Innovations such as color-shifting panels and adjustable-angle surfaces are seamlessly integrated with lighting design, creating dynamic, reflective effects that transform in response to their surroundings. To further enhance engagement, visitors can interact with AR and VR simulations, providing a realistic visualization of how these materials function in different architectural applications.
Which of these pavilion concepts resonates most with you? Each year, the Thematic Pavilion stands as a highlight of Architect Expo, redefining product showcases as experiential design environments. More than a commercial display, it serves as a catalyst for inspiration, sparking ideas among architects, designers, and industry professionals while seamlessly blending craftsmanship with industrial innovation. Judging by the initial concept and visuals, this year’s designs have certainly hit the mark.