A delightful approach of the ephemeral structures world and public interaction. The Bubble building is the ultimate architecture interpretation of Erasmus’s ‘homo bulla est’ (man is a soap bubble).

‘The Bubble Building is the world’s most delicate and temporary pavilion, made entirely of soap film. It instigates action and interaction, as it only appears when visitors build it themselves, yet collectively.

The Bubble Building consists of 16 hexagonal shaped ponds; a form found naturally in clustered bubbles. Together, the steel ponds add up to 35 m2 of reflective surface. Visitors can carefully tread on here, wearing rubber boots. It’s a surreal image, as if they are walking on water. The building itself is nowhere to be seen just yet; only a few handlebars hint at what needs to be done. Once everyone positions themselves and pulls up the steel frames, the pavilion shows. It is an instant spectacle. Immense iridescent soap walls appear, like a wafer thin facade of fluid glass, each time different. Once the bubble pops, what remains is the enthusiasm in young and old to do it again. And again.

While the building is temporary, the architectural themes it refers to are monumental. It makes tangible the eternal cycle of building and rebuilding. Additionally, the popping bubble alludes to the economic crisis and its effects on the real estate sector and consequently, architecture. Continuing this thought, the Bubble Building is also about emerging new forms of collective building, as it takes at least two persons to erect one cell of the pavilion. The more people join in, the larger the pavilion can potentially become.

Visitors of the pavilion are invited to eternalize their own momentary version of the pavilion in a bubble snapshot. With the aid of social media numerous different bubble buildings are joined. It is in these pictures that the true beauty of the pavilion is found: the remembrance. As ultimately, the Bubble Building is about beauty.

Rotterdam philosopher Erasmus once said ‘homo bulla est’, or ‘man is a soap bubble’. Life is ephemeral. It is said that a temporary experience is more delightful, because of the fact that it is only temporary. So enjoy it to the fullest!

The pavilion was designed by DUS architects on commission by the IABR (International Architecture Biennial Rotterdam) and Rotterdam Festivals/ZigZagCity, and was on display in the city center of Rotterdam for two weeks in spring 2012.’

ARCHITECT: DUS architects, Amsterdam, NL. CLIENT: The IABR (International Architecture Biennial Rotterdam) and Rotterdam Festivals/ZigZagCity. LOCATION: Rotterdam, The Netherlands. DESCRIPTION: Cultural / Pavilion. STATUS: completed. DATE: Spring 2012. No part of this web site may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Morfae and the copyright owner.