Composite pavilion prototype is a research-based pavilion project developed for the 2025 Korea International Architecture Festival. Rather than presenting K:INK Tower only as a completed exhibition object, the project focuses on the experimental process through which flat LiteTex® composite sheets are transformed into a self-supporting architectural structure through bending, tension, and material elasticity.
The project investigates how softness can become structure. Using AXIA Materials’ lightweight continuous-fiber composite panels, the research tests the relationship between two-dimensional cutting profiles, three-dimensional curvature, panel connections, and structural stability. The 4.3-meter-tall prototype is composed of 12 concave panels, whose form emerges from the calibrated balance between flexibility and tension rather than conventional rigid framing.
The proposal also examines the conditions of the exhibition site at Nodeul Island. By measuring the courtyard in front of Nodeul Lounge and analyzing visitor circulation, visibility, and indoor–outdoor exhibition flows, the project adjusts the pavilion’s scale and placement to function as both a spatial installation and a material research prototype.
Fabrication studies further verify the project’s constructability, including replaceable panel layouts, cutting plans from 9m × 2.7m LiteTex sheets, bolt spacing, curvature reinforcement, wind-load resistance, and a pedestal-based foundation system. Through this process, the project demonstrates a full workflow from material behavior and geometric research to fabrication planning and exhibition-scale prototyping.
Year : 2025
Location : Seoul, Korea
Size : 1m radius, 4.2m height
Project Director :
Dongil Kim (Kyung Hee University / I.f CDL)
Principal Researcher :
Seungil Kim, Gwangeun Hwang (I.f CDL)
Project Assistant :
Isaac Kang, Bugeon Kim, Chaewon Go, Juyoung Lee (I.f CDL)
Supported by : Kyung Hee Univ., I.f Convergence Design Lab, Axia Materials, Kolon Global, I.f Architecture & Research