‘Enfold Pavilion’ by DEOND – All photos are by ©DEED STUDIO.
Design. During Dubai Design Week, DEOND, the studio co-founded by Ross Lovegrove and Ila Colombo, unveils the Enfold Pavilion in the Dubai Design District (d3). The installation “explores the concept of phygital therapy, seamlessly merging the physical and digital realms to create a deeply immersive experience.” Explain Lovegrove and Colombo.
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The entire structure and finish are crafted from corrugated cardboard. Its exterior references the rough, spiky seed of nature. “The overall circular geometry creates a continuous sense of enclosure, symbolising the holistic embrace that unites body, mind, and technology.”
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Inside is a soothing alcove. Thanks to a perforated roof, soft, natural light filters into the space, shifting in intensity with the sun’s path. Here, visitors discover a volumetric 3D podium composed of transparent reflective wires and two digital screens integrated into the pavilion’s architectural skin. When viewed from a specific focal point, the cluster of wires forms a cohesive, flowing garment.
Named HUG – Holistic Unified Garment – the bodysuit “envisions new forms of speculative tools that could help treat anxiety and de-accelerate the mind and body.” Using Al and 3D design tools, the garment mimics natural forms and stimulates the triggering points in the body.
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HUG fuses Eastern treatment methodologies with Western approaches to science and technology. According to Oriental holistic philosophy, the body is conceived like a garden. The Western idea of the body as a machine prioritises technological acceleration and considers a body as a vehicle that doesn’t know its limitations. “What if technological acceleration could give us a chance to become closer to nature – to return to what has been neglected and forgotten? How should we merge technology and nature to bridge?”
Ross Lovegrove and Ila Colombo co-founded DEOND in 2023. The multidisciplinary practice merges cutting-edge expertise with creative foresight. The studio integrates advanced manufacturing, interactive installations, and architecture to foster a sustainable coexistence between the built and natural environments.
Enfold Pavilion by DEOND – All photos are by ©DEED, courtesy of DEOND.
