Prize(s) Honorable Mentions
Company SEAM Design
Lead Designers Marci Song
Other Designer's names Smith, Afsarpour, Cousins, Nespega, Hoelzle
Completion Date September 2018, April 2019, January 2020
Project Location London, Milan, Madrid
Entry DescriptionLed by Waugh Thistleton Architects, the demountable pavilion MultiPly debuted for London Design Festival 2018, before reconfiguring for Milan Design Week 2019 and then again for Madrid Design Festival 2020. The public artwork applies prefabricated modular construction to showcase engineered timber, with each unique site location informing a bespoke modular configuration and lighting animation. SEAM expanded the lighting brief to include MultiPly’s modularity as a key design criteria, envisioning an affordable, transportable, reconfigurable and programmable ‘plug and play' system. A singular detail is installed into each door frame during pre-fabrication, with the assembled pavilion then programmed wirelessly on location to align the animation with the local sunset and urban context. Beyond the lit effect, SEAM's creative use of standard equipment allows quick install and de-rig with minimal on-site electrical works, while preserving full functionality for onward travel. The resulting, dynamic compositions of glowing doorways, layering light and dark surfaces, make MultiPly legible at night, showing how lighting can enhance architecture's modularity, sustainability and identity.
