Rain Pavilion

An auditorial pavilion that utilizes falling rain to create a dark echo chamber visitors.

Inspired by Saigon, Vietnam, where many traditional homes have tin roofing, almost the entirety of the structure is created using the metal.

The pavilion is built for about 1-4 guests per visit, the tight space providing a personal experience.

Studio project, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, May 2024

Why tin?

Although tin mostly serves the purpose of emphasizing the auditorial experience of the rain pavilion, the metal has proven to be much more than a material that produces a memorable sound. It has become popular for roofing due to its durability and long-lasting lifetime.

This sustainable material is also moss- and fungal-proof, fire retardant, and has a high solar reflectance index (SRI).

Saigon inspiration

Even after decades of living in America, my mother still vividly remembers the sound of rain hitting the tin roofs of her childhood home in Saigon, Vietnam.

Each time there is rain in the forecast in the suburbs of Chicago, she cannot help but feel nostalgic over her childhood due to how significant the sound was. Although the asphalt roofing of our home produces little noise, she is thrown back into past at the semblance of recognition.