Studio Morison has unveiled a stunning round shelter clad in a membrane of yellow PVC and aluminum mesh – and it just might help see you through the apocalypse. The artists behind the Escape Vehicle #9 shelter, Heather and Ivan Morison, explain that its design was inspired by their vision of a future world where nature has reclaimed the planet. The glowing pavilion has been installed in Holtingerveld, one of the darkest places in the Netherlands, as part of the Into Nature: Out of Darkness art festival, and it invites guest to spend the night in its metallic “existence chamber.”
The sustainable shelter is a lightweight, compact structure made up of minimal materials, making it fully demountable. The circular wall consists of a membrane of yellow PVC, which is clad in a custom aluminum expanded mesh. Four Spirafix screw anchors connect the structure’s aluminum legs to the ground, ensuring that the building leaves little to no impact on the landscape.
As far as the design inspiration, Ivan says that he envisioned a future when nature reclaims the planet, when humans will have to “tread quickly and lightly on the land they occupy.” He further explains, “When first imagining Escape Vehicle #9 I had a vision of a flight into the future. I saw a lightness from that future within the darkness of the present, and this is where the Escape Vehicle can take us towards.”
His vision of light and darkness can be seen firsthand in the shelter’s interior. Visitors enter the shelter through a ladder on the ground, which leads into a circular “existence chamber” with metallic flooring and a ceiling clad in a quilted foil insulation to help maintain the temperature.
The chamber is compact, but spacious enough for two people. A double bed sits at the center, directly under a conical “navigational buoy” made from bent sheets of aluminum. A hatch in the metallic ceiling provides access to the rooftop deck, where visitors can enjoy beautiful, peaceful views of the surrounding nature.
The yellow structure stands out in the vast greenery during the day, but it converts into a glowing beacon at night. Inside the shelter, the intensity of the yellow increases as the sun rises, creating a glowing light meant to have a calming effect on the inhabitants.
The Into Nature: Out of Darkness event runs until September 16th. The shelter is part of the biennial event’s art route, which is also featuring works by Olafur Eliasson, Adrián Villar Rojas and Susan Philipsz this year. Guests can make reservations to sleep in the Escape Vehicle #9 for a unique, off-grid experience.
Striking yellow PVC-clad pavilion is a sustainable shelter designed for the end times [Inhabitat]