04/07/2021
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Pavillion with a Golden Canopy of 4000 aluminium leaves
NOOR ISLAND – German design studio 3deluxe shields a glass cube with a canopy of golden leaves to ensure a suitable atmosphere for its butterfly inhabitants.
On a man-made island In the United Arab Emirate's capital city of Sharjah
40 kilometers outside of – resides a leisure attraction revolving around the landscape.
Upon crossing the Khalid Lagoon with a pedestrian bridge, visitors to Noor Island are presented with a garden route spotted with .
For a fluid experience, the island's masterplan and buildings were all designed by 3deluxe.
The first structure to open to the public, the Butterfly Pavilion, contains a stable biosphere for butterflies to thrive amidst the region's soaring temperatures. The building's transparent enclosure is shrouded with a roof canopy to help regulate the temperature of the interior spaces.
Mounted onto an undulating space frame, 4000 aluminium petals depict an interpreted Arabian .
The gold-hued canopy's ornate pattern shades the structure beneath it as well as conceals LED lights which illuminate in pulsating patterns to mimic butterflies in flight during the night.
Resting upon only nine points and three pillars, the detached roof structure's geometry – at times reching heights of 13 metres – produces a chimney effect to combat the arid desert climate. Air circulates over a water pool for a cooler microclimate.
A multisensory experience takes place inside as a walkway winds through a planted landscape and a soundscape fills the air. Hundreds of exotic butterflies reside within the rainforest biotope.
Project: Butterfly Pavilion, Noor Island, Sharjah, U.A.E.
Location: Noor Island, Sharjah City, Sharjah, U.A.E.
Area: 820sq-m
Contracting authority: Shurooq, Sharjah, U.A.E
Client: Andre Heller, Artevent GmbH, Austria
Architects: , Germany