![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=db74c60314f1e0917c3d09bc13654895 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=e9223d2b5eee23d15ebdf74e1878f785 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=06cba55977412da6f7e90b397a5c8ef2 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=683&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=93d3eae3fdf778812cc3238545d2ec38 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=d79b35441d90c8134b19ce7b9459db5a 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1067&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=59d0639d47a38d892922d5fd72316233 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=31e7aa7b315e2bc2bc0dbe1351ef209b 1920w)
The project
Portsoken Pavilion sits at the heart of the newly created Aldgate Square in the City of London, which has transformed a former complex gyratory into a welcoming public space for locals and City workers.
The pavilion, our second for the City of London, is part of a planned ‘family’ of pavilions for the district. It echoes the asymmetric geometry of the first one (the City of London Information Centre), as well as the tones of the adjacent listed buildings, Sir John Cass’s Foundation Primary School and St Botolph-without-Aldgate.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_16.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=830edc30b0a6c0d08cce3ff05df0f2b5 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_16.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=a8fcd7e3358953fa8b6af69f1b584373 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_16.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=8896849af3b98ea1c6cddb3b943b51d0 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_16.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=683&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=ff8277275c96ef8c3991ee805bfa0008 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_16.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=5fa6ff003d9168eefeb3f38b938a2e98 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_16.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1067&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=d6d0cdb5738cc9edb7f0d29c35c3ac57 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_16.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=d4b3b6efd093da0803c7a0aed8fd6710 1920w)
The model
The model is part of our ‘showcase’ series, which are made to the highest possible level of detail and finish. These are models we display in our studio and use at important client events, as we did with this one, at the pavilion’s official launch.
For this model we used the construction model that was sent to the steel fabricators. We slightly changed the format to make it suitable for 3D printing, but it was in essence the same model used for the actual building, which resulted in a highly accurate physical model.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_22.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=46600d95d3f5521f4276602bf50d3c33 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_22.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=96b6cf391b42c85cc0477a66435054ff 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_22.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=6de5775a5a1f68f38ea6c7c052d7b732 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_22.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=683&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=74aa12b9d714a08ecf643f3d0bd16990 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_22.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=e6eb8854b76055e78392a68cef557a08 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_22.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1067&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=8148f9f0dff81dfdf8a1c6feb7357007 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_22.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=40ac66c38f7da9e9a7bc7eed909e85a1 1920w)
The roof
The pavilion’s distinctive roof is made of individual panels, but for the model, due to its scale, we decided it would be best to 3D-print the roof as a single element. To print such a large object we outsourced the job to Ogle Models, who have one of the biggest SLA 3D resin printers in the UK. Ogle also produced the single soffit element which tightly lines and locks into the roof.
Before joining them, though, we spent quite a lot of time finishing them, sanding off print lines and applying primer paint. We then sprayed the soffit matte white and for the roof used a Corten-effect paint that has iron powder mixed in. Once the roof was dry, we lightly scoured the surface to rub away excess paint from the iron, and sprayed it with an oxidising solution to create rust. The paint changed from dark grey to orange within a few hours.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_1.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=a918273d6705374c27ad11b4225f176a 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_1.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=ac44dd76c880988795205459c4c4e1dc 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_1.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=c18ccc3eef8025b92ce95c17c49dabc3 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_1.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=683&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=891e558aea638f9e419669e00ce3407d 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_1.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=e3ad66744e0ab78b840656a05df62f51 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_1.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1067&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=c28cb49c9d2815c4f32c57a2d1390579 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_1.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=5cb7625719d875f908ebb7425f5ee507 1920w)
The feet
For the three points where the pavilion meets the ground, Ogle used a CNC machine to 3D-cut the ‘feet’ from a block of vertically stacked sheets of 18mm plywood. Due to the way the sheets were stacked, the end grain of the wood creates a linear pattern representing the real-life cast concrete with grooves.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_20.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=fde063274cc67d5d02d81757c921f3ed 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_20.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=476fa6e63c3e157c2f95d6069d4fe3bf 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_20.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=3154fbcee6b6a870f264f13e0a6f87ac 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_20.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=683&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=a7af341dc95f6a416f179ec4cd9aabb5 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_20.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=8bb5f7f27d17330e133488190c40a92a 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_20.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1067&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=f3970df29af26706d46aafcc8360d864 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_20.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=ce9b55fce07230225204198cd739dd51 1920w)
The furniture
Inside, we laser-cut and assembled the furniture from 3mm plywood, matching it to the furniture and servery counter in the actual pavilion. The high corner tables on either side, however, are part of the soffit element. The floor is made from the base of the model, and the stairs to the lower ground level are cut into the base.
The base
To create the base, Ogle Models used a CNC router machine on a stack of ten sheets of 18mm plywood. Each layer has a different cut-out to form the stairs. Other areas of the base have also been cut out to create hollows that reduce its weight. Once we got the base back, we sanded down the surfaces and rough edges, and polished it with wax for a glossy finish that contrasts nicely with the Corten-effect paint.
(Fun fact: we originally considered making the base from a cast concrete block but decided it would be too heavy!)
The people
We 3D-printed the people on our Formlabs Form 2 resin printer which, although much smaller than Ogle’s, still uses the same technology. The abstract, faceted human forms (which we sprayed a matte white) are the same ones that appear in the original renders created by our visualisation team. We thought this was a nice way of nodding to the legacy of the project, as well as tying in to the faceted geometry of the structure.
![#](https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=140&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=210&s=db74c60314f1e0917c3d09bc13654895 210w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=420&s=e9223d2b5eee23d15ebdf74e1878f785 420w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=512&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=768&s=06cba55977412da6f7e90b397a5c8ef2 768w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=683&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1024&s=93d3eae3fdf778812cc3238545d2ec38 1024w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=933&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1400&s=d79b35441d90c8134b19ce7b9459db5a 1400w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1067&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1600&s=59d0639d47a38d892922d5fd72316233 1600w,https://make-arch.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makearchitects.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F08%2FPortsoken-pavilion_Make_9.jpg?auto=format&crop=center&fit=crop&h=1280&ixlib=php-1.2.1&w=1920&s=31e7aa7b315e2bc2bc0dbe1351ef209b 1920w)