The Factory 5.0 pavilion is a living architectural experiment that merges human innovation with biological processes, symbolizing a post-anthropocentric future. Conceptualized as a site-sensitive project for The New Great Eastern Mills in Mumbai, the pavilion pays homage to the city’s industrial heritage.
Project Name: Factory 5.0
Studio Name: Studio Aditya Mandlik
Design: Aditya Mandlik
Fabrication Team: Aditya Mandlik, Satish Vishwakarma,
Kritarth Naik, Manjit Gogoi, Rajesh Shelke.
Site: Nine Fish Art Gallery, Mumbai.
Constructed from 546 digitally crafted components and **210 styrofoam plates**, the structure is inhabited by almost 7,000 kingworms, enclosed in transparent acrylic containers. Over time, these organisms decompose the styrofoam, creating an evolving spatial environment where light and shadow interplay, orchestrated by the gradual decay. This curated process challenges traditional notions of permanence and control, establishing a symbiotic relationship between architecture and natural intelligence.
The choice of worms to decompose synthetic materials is significant, deeply tied to the historical context of The New Great Eastern Mills, established in 1839—the same year the vulcanization of natural rubber was invented. This breakthrough led to the development of plastics, originally conceived as an ecological innovation aimed at reducing human dependency on ivory and curbing the hunting of elephants. The mills, as part of the First Industrial Revolution, played a crucial role in shaping Mumbai’s urban and economic stature. Now, in the Fifth Industrial Revolution, the pavilion positions itself as a vector of transformation, where the curated decomposition of styrofoam becomes an architectural gesture reflecting contemporary concerns around sustainability and ecological balance.
Designed for disassembly, the pavilion emphasizes adaptability and sustainability. Its components are repurposed after the exhibition, aligning with the broader theme of regenerative design. This approach reflects a shift from viewing plastics as ecological solutions to recognizing their environmental impact, addressing these issues through biologically-driven processes. The decomposition of plastics by kingworms serves as both a literal act of decarbonization and a metaphor for architectural processes rooted in ecological intelligence.
As the pavilion transforms throughout the exhibition, it becomes a dynamic, interactive element, offering a speculative vision of future urban production, where human and non-human intelligences collaborate. This transformation, while a physical degradation of materials, also functions as a commentary on the evolution of architectural design in response to the pressing ecological challenges of our time. At the end of the exhibition, the styrofoam plates will be preserved as ‘objects of memory’, encapsulating the pavilion’s temporal journey and its engagement with both historical and future discourses.
By embracing nature as a co-creator, the pavilion envisions a future where architectural practices are harmonized with ecological cycles, fostering a sustainable urban experience. It moves away from human-centric design rationalities toward an integrated, collaborative model, reflecting the urgent need to address the environmental consequences of the very materials that helped build modern cities. Through this act of biological collaboration, the pavilion points toward a future where decarbonization and regenerative design lie at the heart of architectural innovation.