Steel Fusion Pavilion
Exhibited: WIDC, West Bund Art Center, Suzhou Bay Digital Art Museum
Dimension: 3x3x3m
Year: 2024
“Steel Fusion” pavilion is an art installation redesigned and constructed after the Steel Fusion Workshop at the Design School of Xi ‘an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.
“Steel Fusion”, with its futuristic design and complex construction system, explores the application potential of new technologies (such as AI, robotic construction, and AR-assisted construction) in design and construction. It demonstrates the transformative integration of creativity and technology in optimizing material usage, improving construction precision, reducing waste, and promoting sustainability.
The installation consists of three main components: the main structure, the outer shell, and the base. The main structure is made of steel tubes bent in three dimensions with the assistance of AR, which provides precise and intuitive guidance during the bending process. The outer shell is crafted from EPS foam cut by robotic hot-wire cutting technology. The foam is painted in black and white to emphasize its volumetric dimensions and is grouped into clusters, each supported internally by aluminum panels and connected to the main structure. The base is constructed from wooden panels clad in aluminum sheets.
The construction of the “Steel Fusion” combines traditional digital fabrication techniques with robotic construction and AR-assisted technology. The robotic and AR-assisted components were completed in the Design Fab Lab at the Design School, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, while the steel tubes for the main structure and the base were processed in a factory. All materials and manufacturing processes were carried out within the same city to minimize transportation distances and carbon emissions.
“Steel Fusion” aims to raise public awareness of new technologies and the creative freedom they enable. Through its precise execution, it calls for attention to sustainability and innovative practices.
Facades emphasize horizontal lines, with transparency in the commercial areas and shading elements in the office sections, enhancing visual cohesion and momentum. Rooted in a people-centered philosophy, the plaza prioritizes user comfort and ecological integration, rejecting “large and empty” designs in favor of vibrant, functional spaces that foster culture and community.
