The Coca Cola Beatbox Pavilion was designed for Coca-Cola as a temporary showcase venue as part of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games. The beatbox is an experimental fusion of architecture, sport, music and technology to create a multi-sensory experience for visitors. The Beatbox Pavilion was inspired by Coca-Cola’s Move to the Beat global campaign that encourages people to stay active, while bringing together their passion for music and sport.

The unique design was created to reflect the movement of a graphic equalizer. It was envisioned as a mass of elements that are rising and falling as they wrap around the circumference of the pavilion structure. The triangular tiles of 200 prisms of ETFE (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene) is both the façade and also the structure of the building envelope. It also creates a three dimensional interactive journey inside, through which visitors can travel to reach a viewing platform at the top of the structure. Each tile is five metres long and it has an inflatable plastic surface that allows it to be fitted with lightweight structural components.

The Beatbox aspect of the name comes from the façade also being a musical instrument. Each of the prisms is equipped with a touch sensor that causes it to emit sounds and light pulses when visitors come into contact with it.

The Tubecon team collaborated with the design team and specialist subcontractors to develop the main frame of this complex steel structure, which incorporates curved back-frames to support the exterior, with padded cushions which are fastened back to the main structure.

The overall aim of the Coca Cola Beatbox Pavilion building is for visitors to play and have fun. To create this interactive structure, Tubecon utilised the latest 3D modelling software to develop the main frame. Tubecon modelled, fabricated and erected the steel structure within a 16 week time scale. Overall, 137 tonnes of structural steel was supplied for the project, which is sat on temporary steel grillages filled with concrete.