Olympia will play host to its first-ever London Design Festival pavilion with “Off The Shelf”, a new creation by renowned artist and craftsperson Rio Kobayashi and award-winning engineering firm Webb Yates. “Off The Shelf”, Kobayashi’s first large-scale installation, represents a unique creative collaboration, heralding Olympia’s transformation into a new destination for culture and creativity. The pavilion will be open to the public from 14th September 2024 to 28th February 2025, daily from 10 am to 6 pm, and will act as a showcase for other prominent craftspeople and designers.

As Olympia undergoes significant transformation, restoring its historical halls and adding new buildings, the “Off The Shelf” pavilion takes inspiration from the site’s architecture and the traditional Japanese wooden homes of Kobayashi’s childhood. The pavilion will stand on the north side of Olympia, overlooking the iconic Grand Hall and is constructed using a timber and stone sway frame that integrates contemporary engineering with traditional craft techniques, creating a seamless blend of science and art.

Rio Kobayashi, designer and artist: “Designing the pavilion has been an exciting journey, bringing together the traditions of my childhood with innovative ideas from my creative peers. The goal was to craft a space that honours Olympia’s rich heritage while challenging the boundaries of sustainable and reusable design. The project seeks to reimagine the way we build and interact with our ever-evolving environment, inviting everyone to explore, create, and connect in new and meaningful ways.”

John Hitchcox, Chairman and co-founder, Yoo Capital, the developer behind Olympia: “We are delighted to collaborate with Rio Kobayashi and Webb Yates on this inaugural pavilion, which reflects both Olympia’s heritage and modern design. The creativity shown here is the perfect embodiment of our ambitions for the destination and, as we approach the launch in late 2025, this will be the opportunity for visitors to get a glimpse of what the future will look like at Olympia.”

The structure is a thoughtful piece of engineering, using next to no screws, joints, or material alterations; instead, it is assembled from standard components cleverly weighted, prestressed, or clamped together, demonstrating an innovative approach to building. This method ensures stability and durability while allowing the pavilion to be easily disassembled back into its original, off-the-shelf parts, the bulk of which can be returned, reused, or resold. This approach underscores a commitment to sustainability and the circular economy, making the pavilion an exemplar of environmentally conscious design. Similar to the co-design of Olympia by Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC, the framework echoes the old and new, serving as a versatile space for observation, exhibition, and entertainment.

Curated by arts organisation Company, Place, “Off The Shelf” will house “On The Shelf”, a cultural programme that will bring the pavilion to life. The opening exhibition for “On The Shelf” will feature a captivating installation by artist and plant biologist Cynthia Fan. Known for her work exploring the natural world and the interplay between art and science, Fan’s installation responds to Kobayashi’s ideas around creating spaces to observe nature and will set the tone for the pavilion programming. The interventions invite visitors to immerse themselves in the natural world through living sculptures and installations that challenge traditional perceptions of art and nature.