Hylemo creates mandala-infused dance floor pavilion for psytrance festival

Creative agency and architecture studio Hylemo has created a mandala-laden dance floor canopy pavilion for psytrance festival Lost Theory. The agency, formed by Josh Haywood and Harry Bowen, previously created a pavilion for last year’s Burning Man festival, The Arbour, and a 2014 installation The Hayam.

According to Hylemo, the Lost Temple pavilion is its largest and most complex project to date. “The design comes from a continued study of the geometry of sacred architecture, this artwork has been inspired by forms of medieval rib vaulting. We have digitalised these geometric forms and manipulated them into parametric models to design a contemporary structure that achieves the same objective,” the studio explains.

It is intended that the 20m by 20m, six-metre tall structure will be dismantled and used again over the course of three to five years.

“As a studio we use algorithms to maximise inexpensive materials such as timber. The Lost Temple piece has been developed and designed using parametric software. Creating a parametric model is what allows us to produce a piece of this size entirely from CNC cut plywood,” says Hylemo. “One of the unique stand-out features that makes the Lost Temple different to our previous work is the introduction of mandalas into the pattern. These are hand drawn by artist Andrea Greenlees. They sit within a greater pattern which was created using algorithms and help give the piece more of a hand crafted feel.”

Lost Theory festival takes place in Sotoserrano in Spain from 22 – 29 August.