Daylight gives us an understanding of where we are in the world and of the spaces, we find ourselves in every day. The ‘Poetic Daylight’ pavilion, unfolds the spatial qualities of daylight, where the perceptual, aesthetic and poetic potential of daylight can be experienced in a series of spaces.
Architects Without Border’s pavilion is an interpretation of one of their actual development projects, the “Bio-centre”. Through basic sanitary functions, a bio-centre provides crucial services in a densely packed slum – while creating a social focal point.
ARCHITECTS:
Architects Without Borders (Denmark)
PARTNERS:
National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda
ACTogether Uganda
BLOX
SUPPORTED BY:
Dreyers Fond
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
SEE MORE:
www.aug.ngo/projekt/pavillon-ved-blox
Through basic sanitary functions, a bio-centre provides crucial services in a densely packed slum – while creating a social focal point. The building´s toilets are placed above a large underground tank that produces a combustible gas from the human waste through a natural process. A waste product that is otherwise polluting the urban environment and causing disease, is now collected and refined into a resource that can be used in the residents’ stoves and for heating bathing water in the bio-centre.
The result is a range of positive services for the slum’s residents that can strengthen them in their daily life.
This partnership highlights how architecture can come with solutions to reduce inequality in living standards across the planet.
“The Bio-Centre is an example of a small architectural intervention that creates a huge impact in the local community. There are so many wonderful stories and facts to be explained about the Bio-centre – but most importantly, we hope that our guests leave with an optimism that they too, can create a positive impact. Through volunteer work with organizations such as Architects Without Borders, donations to development projects or simply helping a friend in need.”

Christoffer Breitenbauch
Chairperson of the board, Architects Without Borders (Denmark)
AFTERLIFE
The pavilion will be donated to Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke /ActionAid
OTHER PAVILIONS
Reflections in Common
Architecture is only given meaning once we interact with it. The concept of the Pavilion ‘Reflections in Common’ is materialised in the design, which allows people to look at themselves against the backdrop of the city.
The Greenhouse
A space inviting entrepreneurs, visitors and the local community to reconnect with nature and learn the importance of nurturing ecosystems for current and future generations.
OBEL AWARD: unPAVILION
The unPAVILION is a statement piece – that prompts curiosity, debate, and reflection on our contemporary and future uses of resources. It also points to the counterproductive nature of greenwashing.
Tower of Wind
A monument celebrating sustainable architecture, in which the public can experience a journey through the history of meteorology.
The Raft
A sensory structure landing on one of Copenhagen canal’s floating platforms, aiming at offering visitors a direct and playful sensorial experience with the water.
(P)RECAST
Investigating the role of precast concrete in sustainable equitable urban development. Is it possible to reuse the building components of these buildings in new construction, minimizing resource consumption?
From 4 to 1 Planet
How do we reduce climate impact from residential buildings to a fourth of the current level without compromising on attractivity and liveability?
Find three different answers to this question in our three pavilions, developed by next generations architects.
Bricks in Common
The brick pavilion ‘Bricks in Common’ brings our attention to this double bind: brick has a potentially long lifespan – it is, however, also a very energy-consuming material to produce. If we want brick to play a larger part of the sustainable development, we need further innovation, development, and more design for disassembly.
Plastic Pavilion: Building Sustainable Societies
Future building materials need to be sustainable, meaning that they are reusable or recyclable, and preferably made from recycled content. Many of the synthetic materials, plastic, and other polymers have these properties while at the same time being durable, lightweight, cheap, and easy to shape.
Living Places Copenhagen
Living Places Copenhagen – the first seven prototypes of the concept, show how we can develop sustainable buildings with a three times lower CO2 footprint and a first-class indoor climate. The concept holds the lowest CO2 emissions in Denmark, demonstrating that we do not have to wait for future technology to build more sustainably
Feed Back
Different lenses on food systems. The pavilion uses virtual spatial design to guide the audience through an exhibition that explores the content of the publication in a gallery-like experience. Users take part of the exhibit space by using their own mobile devices through virtual reality features.