Employing the latest in aluminum and metals innovation, Ben van Berkel and UNStudio have erected the ALPOLIC fair stand at BAU 2017, the world?s leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems. Emphasizing the inherent strength of the ultra-light material, the parametric design utilizes geometric principles to create a self-supporting semi-private stand for gathering and the display of products.

© Laurian Ghinitoiu

Employing the latest in aluminum and metals innovation, Ben van Berkel and UNStudio have erected the ALPOLIC fair stand at BAU 2017, the world?s leading trade fair for architecture, materials and systems. Emphasizing the inherent strength of the ultra-light material, the parametric design utilizes geometric principles to create a self-supporting semi-private stand for gathering and the display of products.
© Laurian Ghinitoiu

Built from a single structural element, the geometry of the structure draws from natural examples of stability and strength, including the venation of leaves and the catenary lines of spider webs.The resulting spaces within take the shape of cones, clad on the front side with durable fluoropolymer coated panels and left untreated on the back, revealing the structural construction of the thin sandwich panels. The coated side has been finished in a prismatic Lumiflon resin, which gives the stand a pearlescent appearance capable of w...