Earthquake Pavillion for Test Pod NZ

Earthquakes can be devastating and have impacted many New Zealanders through recent years. Earthquakes are a serious problem in NZ, but are never really taught on a hands on level. We wanted to communicate how tectonic plates move through engaging children's 5 senses. We created a fun and interactive pavilion that has educational value that teaches kids about the tectonic plates and movements while engaging with the moving tectonic plates. Our personal aim was to observe the urban environment of Wynyard Quarter, analyze children’s behavior and generate a fun and interactive pavilion to promote science. It is essential to bring people together – to be able to interact, socialize, and to be educated in a dynamic way. Additionally, we wanted to enhance the natural characteristics of the site and history of New Zealand, which are symbolically shown through our design. Also, children start making a connection between New Zealand and earthquakes more meaningful. As pavilion designers, we had to take the site into consideration by adapting the local context and conditions. Attention towards particular materials are vital and have been chosen to link to the history and surrounding resources.