Waste Side Story Pavilion / Cloud-floor

Architects: Cloud-floor
Area: 180 m²
Year: 2018
Photographs: Ketsiree Wongwan
Manufacturers: Daiichi Plastic Company Limited, Global Chemical(GC), Hi-Green, Thai Prasit Textile, Wave Product
Construction: D-63 Company Limited
Exhibition Designer: Pitchaya Nithipattrarat, Kasama Supawannakit
Lighting Designer: Kullakaln Gururatana
Graphic Designer: Tadporn Wudhinan
Clients: Global Chemical, Thailand Creative, and Design Centre
City: Khwaeng Bang Rak
Country: Thailand

The Waste Side Story Pavilion by Cloud-floor, created for the 2018 Bangkok Design Week, challenges traditional design and construction practices by using recycled materials and considering the lifecycle of components beyond the building itself. The six-meter-high pavilion is constructed from specially designed recycled plastic bricks and lightweight nylon screens, each element designed with its post-event use in mind. The pavilion employs a modular construction technique, arranging elements in repetitive patterns to create structural rhythms. After the event, the pavilion’s components will be repurposed into over 2,500 chairs and 1,500 tote bags, showcasing a sustainable approach that extends its impact beyond its temporary existence. The structure aims to inspire, provoke discussions on sustainable design, and highlight the creative, innovative, and social value of rethinking material use in architecture.

Amid growing societal focus on environmental concerns, a debate has emerged within the creative industry: Can designers provide fresh perspectives on pressing global issues?

As a landmark installation for the 2018 Bangkok Design Week, the Waste Side Story Pavilion challenges conventional design and construction practices that lead to material consumption and waste. It proposes an alternative approach by emphasizing the use of recycled materials and exploring the extended lifecycle of materials beyond their initial architectural application.

The six-meter-high pavilion is built from specially designed recycled plastic bricks and light nylon screens. Each architectural component is conceived with product design in mind, with the scale and proportion of each element reflecting the products they will become after the event. The structure uses a modular construction technique, arranging elements in a repetitive pattern to create rhythmic visual effects.

After the design week, the bricks and screens will be repurposed into over 2,500 chairs and 1,500 tote bags. While initially intended as a temporary structure, the pavilion transcends its short-term purpose, celebrating the creative, innovative, and social value of design. It serves as a model of how architecture can spark conversations, generate new ideas, and inspire change.